by Zhuang Bifan
Thuzadin had too great an advantage…
If this was a close battle, he would never have imagined controlling six corpses at the same time. But, unfortunately, the power of both sides was not at the same level at all. Thuzadin's strength was close to that of the Archmage, while on the Silver Hand side, the strongest of them, Serena, was only level-12. Without the help of the Gryphon, she was not much stronger than Rode.
With this tremendous advantage, Thuzadin had spared no effort at all. He sealed them up easily with a few Bone Spears and a Skeletal Wall. They could neither advance nor retreat, and could only watch as the six corpses staggered towards them while Thuzadin recited the spell for Corpse Explosion.
The speed of Thuzadin's recitation increased; glittering sweat fell from Serena's pretty face. The serial Corpse Explosion just now had injured Serena a little. At this time, a cut on her arm was bleeding profusely. Blood was trickling down her arm, making a "drip-drop" sound as it fell onto the floor…
However, Serena paid it no heed at all. She held her sword tightly in her hands and chopped at the Skeletal Wall in front of her again and again.
It felt like an ant biting an elephant.
The futile struggle was sad to behold.
"Clack! Clack! Clack…"
The blade made monotonous and dull sounds upon contact with the Skeletal Wall.
Serena's efforts could be said to be in vain. The disparity in strength between both sides was too great. The Skeletal Wall Thuzadin released was enough to trap her firmly. By the time she split the one-meter-thick bone wall, Thuzadin's Corpse Explosion would have been released long ago.
But Serena refused to give up. She clenched her teeth, and under the cover of the silver Combat Energy, she pounded on the wall again and again.
At present, Serena was like a moth plunging into fire. Almost every impact would leave her badly battered, but she seemed to have no sense of it at all. She wiped the bloodstains off her forehead, then bent over to pick up her sword and started a new round of pounding.
Once, twice, thrice…
Even Lin Li did not think that the seemingly eccentric beautiful captain was so tenacious. Lin Li developed a tinge of respect for her as he gazed at the thin figure. Serena was perfectly demonstrating to everyone the true meaning of the word "perseverance" in her own way.
With Serena's continuous hits, Thuzadin's recitation became louder, sharper, and harsher; it even carried with it a hint of hoarseness.
A strong death aura surged wildly, and a wisp of substance-like black mist gradually diffused. The previously bright corridor became pitch-dark all of a sudden.
Everyone's hearts sank concurrently as the black mist pervaded the air. Everyone from the Silver Hand knew that after the dark clouds gathered, it would be raining cats and dogs…
They even saw Thuzadin slowly raising his staff.
But, at that moment, the fluent recitation suddenly stopped. It was like a person singing at the top of his lungs was suddenly being strangled.
The men from the Silver Hand were dumbstruck, and so was Thuzadin…
The difference was that Thuzadin knew what had happened to him—and he was clearer than anyone else.
This was Mana Retroaction!
Thuzadin's pale face showed for the first time a look of astonishment.
He was a level-14 Magic Shooter. Someone who could use the Mana Retroaction on him had to be at least level-12.
This was what really puzzled Thuzadin.
There were only a few living people in this corridor, and they were either warriors or archers; where did this Magic Shooter with a strength beyond that of level-12 come from?
Though in doubt, Thuzadin was a figure approaching the level of an Archmage, after all. Even if he was suddenly afflicted with a Mana Retroaction, he was still able to keep his calm, for he knew that Mana Retroaction couldn't affect himself at all.
Even if there was a Magic Shooter above level-12 in the room, and even if he had encountered a Mana Retroaction, what about it? The Skeletal Wall that was previously erected could buy enough time for him. As soon as the effect of Mana Retroaction was over, he could regain control of the rhythm of the battle immediately.
It's nothing—this is just a little hitch.
Or so Thuzadin told himself…
However, just a moment later, he found that it was not merely a small hitch.
At the moment when his mana was interrupted, Thuzadin suddenly felt that a massive and incomparable Divine Power coming at him.
At last, the look on Thuzadin's face changed—from surprise to shock, and from shock to despair—while all of this happened only in a moment. Since the time that he had chosen the Necromancer profession, the expression on Thuzadin's face had never been as splendid as it was today.
"Swish!"
Following the shrill sound of breaking the air, a ray of silver instantly tore away the thick black mist. The strength of the thick skeleton was like a thin veil in front of this silver light—completely torn with merely a slight poke.
And then, there was a splash of blood…
"Impossible!" Thuzadin screamed; the scream sounded like the cry of a night owl.
The Sun's Spike shot through the c.h.e.s.t and out from the back. The small bolt left a bloody hole the size of a bowl in Thuzadin's c.h.e.s.t. Blood gushed out from the hole in the c.h.e.s.t—even for a half-dead creature like Thuzadin, whose blood was almost dried, he still had blood, albeit it didn't seem to be particularly in an upsurge…
Despair froze Thuzadin's face. He staggered back a few steps, trying to cover the wound with his hand. But how could such a large wound be covered by a thin palm? With blood pouring out, Thuzadin could only bow his head to see what had killed him.
The expression of despair on Thuzadin's face seemed to relax suddenly after seeing that half a Sun's Spike, and it was replaced by a look of sudden enlightenment.
"So… so it's you…"
After saying this sentence, the Necromancer, who was rarer than a dinosaur, fell to the floor just like that. Under the purification of the Divine Power that was contained in the Sun's Spike, his body seemed to be on fire, burned completely in a flash.
"…"
The corridor was surprisingly quiet. Everyone stood dumbfounded—including Serena, who was holding her sword tightly.
At the moment when Thuzadin released the Corpse Explosion, almost everyone thought they were going to die; they didn't expect that things would turn around in the end. Before they could figure out what was going on, the mighty Necromancer was suddenly turned into a mass of ashes, disappearing without a trace as soon as the wind blew over…
It was without warning or reason—it felt like a heart attack patient who suddenly fell to the ground while talking…
This was simply too bizarre…
Serena slowly turned around and looked at the end of the corridor. Near the window, there stood a man clad in red leather armor, holding a crossbow in his hands. He asked meekly, "He's not going to revive, is he?"
Chapter 176 - Mysterious Mission
Everyone's eyes fell on Lin Li at his words. The dozen of Silver Hand members had the same thought in their hearts.
This fellow has hit the jackpot…
Who was Thuzadin? He was the only Necromancer in Alanna's many mercenary corps; he also had a strength close to an Archmage. It was no exaggeration to say that the half of the success of the Rising Sun Mercenary Corp at present could be attributed to Thuzadin. If it hadn't been for Thuzadin's existence, how could they have squeezed their way into one of Alanna's top ten mercenary corps?
But, just a while ago, the famous Necromancer had died in the hands of a low-level warrior…
No one could have imagined that the battle would end in such a dramatic way. Just when everyone had lost all hope, a low-level warrior had raised his crossbow, and using a bolt that possessed the Divine Power, he easily shot and killed a figure close to the level of an Archmage…
This guy was
extremely lucky…
It happened exactly when Thuzadin failed to cast his spell and was at his weakest, and it just so happened that the other fellow was in possession of a bolt that contained Divine Power. As a result of these coincidences that had happened in succession, Thuzadin was sent on a road to ruin, and this fellow was also sent to the position of man of the moment in the Silver Hand.
Shooting Thuzadin was tantamount to saving more than a dozen people from the Silver Hand, including Captain Serena herself. Such kindness could not be expressed in a word or two of gratitude. This thing alone was enough to make the whole Silver Hand regard him as a distinguished guest. Under such circ.u.mstances, no matter what request he put forward, Captain Serena would probably agree to it without a second thought…
For such a favorable turn in life, the admiration of the Silver Hand members could only be summed up in a sentence: "hit the jackpot".
Unfortunately, the low-level warrior who had hit the jackpot did not have any awareness of it at all.
The fellow was holding the crossbow, mumbling in puzzlement to himself. "This something of a mage, looking all-so-mighty, turned out to be all an act. He died with just one shot. I thought he was going to release some powerful spell…"
Listening to these words that would warrant a good whacking, Serena only felt her eyebrows twitch violently. She finally suppressed the impulse of whacking someone up, and answered with some difficulty, "He's… He's unlucky…"
"Oh…"
"Mr Felic…" Apart from Sean, perhaps only Hank knew Lin Li's background well among all the people present. The more Hank listened to the latter's words, the more he was convinced there was something fishy about it. How could a character like him utter such ignorant words?
However, just as Hank opened his mouth, he suddenly noticed that the young mage was looking at him. Although the smile on his face was temperate, Hank saw clearly the note of warning in his eyes…
The threatening look startled Hank.
What would be the consequences of provoking this young mage? Hank dared not even think about it. What happened to the group of bandits who had infuriated him back in Blackhills Town? The Ruby Moon Mercenary Corps had also angered him in the Thousand Leaves Bar—and what was their end? Hank did not want to be slain by the monster next to him, much less have an icicle stab his c.h.e.s.t…
So, Hank wisely chose to bury his head.
Seeing Hank had kept silent, Lin Li smiled in contentment.
No kidding—if I were to be exposed by you, wouldn't the things I did before be in vain?
It was also a coincidence—Lin Li had only wanted to avoid being discovered by Thuzadin at the beginning, so he was trying to restrain the magical wave that emanated from him. With his mental strength, it was natural that he knew how to do it without any difficulty at all. If Lin Li was willing, he could even control the magical wave on him to a completely static level. Even a legendary figure would not be able to judge his real strength by the magical wave he emitted.
And the fact proved that it was indeed a successful sneak attack.
Thuzadin totally did not notice that there was a mage who was no less powerful than himself in the corridor.
The Mana Retroaction at the critical moment had decided the outcome of the battle.
As for the Sun's Spike that followed, it was not as crucial as people thought it to be. After controlling Thuzadin with the Mana Retroaction, Lin Li actually had a list of ways to kill him easily. The Sun's Spike was just one of the most effortless ways to kill him…
After shooting down Thuzadin, Lin Li suddenly remembered Hank's proposal.
To be honest, he was really interested in the proposal.
The Silver Hand was a big tree; hitching a ride with them to the Fire Plume Ridge could save him half the effort. He could get the map and the carriage easily when the time came, and in case he needed help with trivial errands, he could borrow a few people from the Silver Hand to help him.
However, the problem was that this was a fair world—one had to do his duty after he had enjoyed the rights. What if the Silver Hand had encountered trouble at the Fire Plume Ridge? Wouldn't he be falling on hard times together with them as well?
So, Lin Li hesitated for a moment, and politely declined. He disliked trouble, and disliked helping others solve their troubles.
Nevertheless, when Thuzadin died, the trouble disappeared.
He was now the life savior of all those present, and a low-level warrior. What did you expect a low-level warrior to do? He wouldn't be able to bear such a heavy duty, and too light a duty was unnecessary. He was their captain's life savior—were they going to make their benefactor run errands for them?
Hence, Lin Li—wearing the Fire Salamandrid leather armor and carrying a crossbow on his back—was conscientiously playing the role of a low-level warrior there.
Sure enough, being low-key was the king's way…
Lin Li was proud to think so, but he had forgotten that such behavior was also called "being pretentious"…
As Lin Li predicted, when Serena heard that he was going to the Fire Plume Ridge, she invited him to travel together with them enthusiastically. Serena's excuse was: "If we go together, we can look after one another in case anything happens."
Of course—an excuse was only an excuse.
Whether it was Serena herself or the pretentious Lin Li, both knew very well what the words meant— young man, the Fire Plume Ridge is a dangerous place. With your strength of a low-level warrior, you had better come along with us…
Anyway, Lin Li hitchhiked to the Fire Plume Ridge before dawn.
After chatting with Serena along the way, Lin Li gradually realized that the Silver Hand had camped in the Fire Plume Ridge two days ago.
And it was not just the Silver Hand that went to the Fire Plume Ridge this time. Two of Alanna's three major mercenary corps went there as well, plus four mercenary corps that were strong enough to enter Alanna's top ten.
As to why these mercenary corps were gathered in the Fire Plume Ridge overnight, Serena did not divulge it, but only said that there was a very big mission to accomplish. For this mission, the six major mercenary corps had even blocked the road from Blackhills Town to the Fire Plume Ridge.
Lin Li felt relieved when he heard the news. Fortunately, he had gotten a free ride from the Silver Hand. Otherwise, just thinking about how to get through these posts would be enough to make his head pound.
It was not because he was afraid of these adventurers. These mercenary corps were powerful, but in the eyes of Lin Li, they were not forces that he couldn't compete against. With his present strength, there were very few things that could frighten him except the huge Marathon Family.
But, this would bring him trouble. In case of conflict, it would inevitably affect his trip to the Fire Plume Ridge. It would do more harm than good if the time for return was delayed, resulting in him missing the invite from the Pharmacists Guild.
All in all, this fellow had temporarily joined the Silver Hand Mercenary Corps as a low-level warrior.
Under the full moon, several carriages rushed towards the direction of the Fire Plume Ridge…
…
Blackhills Town was exceptionally bustling tonight. Thuzadin's continuous Corpse Explosions almost tore down the whole inn. It was not until the carriages had gone away that the innkeeper—who got slapped in the face—finally raised his head from behind the counter in trepidation.
"Thank heavens for sending these guys away…" Watching the billowing dusts and smoke from the carriage, the middle-aged man's face revealed an expression of relief.
However, the inn soon gave him a headache. These guys had left enough compensation before they left, but could the second floor, which had been ravaged by the serial Corpse Explosion, be cleaned up in two days? It seemed that he would be busy for a period of time…
"What a bane…" The middle-aged man sighed, and was about to go up to the second floor to tidy up when he suddenly heard
the sound of horses' hooves coming from a distance.
Then, he saw a few carriages approaching from the curtain of night. At first, he thought that the adventurers who had just left returned. But when he saw the crest on the carriages, his face turned white in horror…
Painting the family crest on the carriage was the privilege of the nobles. The middle-aged man had been running the inn in Blackhills Town for a long time, and had seen many nobles. But he'd never expected the carriages to be painted with a golden hammer!
"Men from the Marathon Family!"
Just as the innkeeper's face paled, the carriages had slowly come to a stop at the door of the inn.
A young man, who looked less than 30 years of age, stepped down from the carriage. His long, golden hair looked extremely dazzling even in the dark. His handsome face and ruby eyes, in addition to his lengthy black robe, filled him with a devilish charm. When he pulled up the corners of his mouth and smiled, it reminded people of a phrase—a smile like the devil's!
"What a backwater…" The young man seemed to complain in a low voice when he got out of the carriage. Then, he turned around, and waved to the innkeeper. "You, come here."
"Honorable Sir, I'm at your disposal." This was a member of the Marathon Family. As soon as he saw the young man waving at him, the innkeeper hurried forward, and greeted him with a bow.
"Did someone create a ruckus here tonight?"
"How do you know?" The innkeeper started in astonishment.
After all, he was only a businessman. Even if he was knowledgeable and experienced, he could never understand that a mage could infer innumerable pieces of information with only a trace of residual magical wave.
"You don't need to worry about how I know; you just have to answer my question. Take a good look at this. Was there a person like this who checked into your inn?" After speaking, the young man took out a picture from his pocket and handed it to the innkeeper, who was still hunched.
The picture showed a young man, similarly in a long black robe. He looked to be in his twenties; he had short black hair and dark pupils. His face was handsome, and his smile gentle—he looked very likeable at first sight.