Chapter22-House Blackwood

In the dense forest night, the bright campfire flickered, casting Alan's shadow long across the ground.

Watching the crimson powder scatter in the air, Alan's expression turned cold as he angled his staff-sword horizontally.

The wide blade swung forward like a fan, creating a gust of wind that sent the powder back towards its source.

Janes was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, only to find herself stunned by the boy's quick reaction.

Before she could fully grasp the situation, Alan's blade was already closing in on her throat, sending a chill down her spine as she reflexively activated her wind element to dodge to the side.

Whoosh!

The sound of the sword slicing through the air echoed, splitting falling leaves into two.

At the last moment, Janes rolled aside, narrowly evading a deadly strike.

She stabilized herself on the ground, her peach-blossom eyes glaring angrily at Alan.

"What are you doing? I only wanted your help! If you won't help, fine, but there's no need to be so ruthless!"

"Ruthless? That doesn't even compare to you!" Alan glared at her, charging forward. "First, you tried to lure that spellbeast towards me, and then you used crimson powder to ambush me. Did you really think I'd be so easy to fool?"

Janes felt her heart sink, surprised that someone so young could have such worldly experience.

His knowledge and reflexes were nothing like those of a sheltered nobleman.

Especially that sword strike just now—if she weren't a battle-hardened wind mage, she would never have dodged it!

And Alan didn't even seem to be at tier-bronze yet, only tier-iron!

As these thoughts raced through her mind, Alan swung his sword again, faster this time, with magical elements igniting around the blade like a bright, fiery flare.

The attack came so swiftly that Janes' pupils constricted, sensing death approaching.

But at that moment, the blade's glow faded, and she saw Alan dash madly towards the carriage nearby.

In front of the carriage, two sturdy horned steeds snorted fearfully, rearing up in panic, trying to escape.

A massive spellbeast resembling a Tyrannosaurus rex opened its jaws wide, aiming to crush both the carriage and the horned steeds.

His sister was still inside the carriage!

Alan's heart raced in panic.

Seeing he wouldn't make it in time, he threw his staff-sword with all his might.

The blade cut through the night, striking the giant spellbeast's head. Its tough, iron-like skin split open, blood spurting out. The sword embedded itself in its thick skull before being deflected away.

Roar!

The spellbeast bellowed in agony, its eyes locking onto Alan in fury as it charged toward him. Alan caught his returning sword mid-air, his gaze fierce, overflowing with murderous intent. As the beast lunged, he leaped into the air and slashed down at its neck, as thick as a tree trunk.

Screech!

Alan's staff-sword, both sharp and heavy, cut deeply into the spellbeast's neck, but its immense size and mid-tier bronze-level defenses left it only injured, driving it into a berserk rage. Its blood-red eyes fixated on him as it tried to shake him off and tear him apart with its claws.

Nearby, Janes watched Alan grapple with the monstrous spellbeast, a sly smile playing at her lips, finding amusement in the clash. Regardless of how the fight turned out, in her mind, they were just working for her benefit.

Then she glanced at the carriage, her eyes glinting with interest. "He must care so much about that carriage because there's something priceless inside!"

With a glint of greed, she dashed toward the carriage, growing more certain of her suspicion the closer she got. The carriage was luxurious, drawn by horned steeds—clearly meant for nobility.

Pulling back the curtains, she found a little girl sleeping soundly inside, which made her frown. Just a girl? Would he go to such lengths just for her? Or perhaps… the treasure was hidden?

As Janes prepared to search the carriage more thoroughly, she suddenly felt the ground tremble. Turning, her face drained of color. The ferocious spellbeast that had relentlessly pursued her had fallen heavily to the ground, its head severed, blood gushing from its neck like a volcano.

Alan, drenched in blood, stood like a god of death, wielding his blood-stained sword as he charged toward her.

Impossible!

Janes' mouth dropped open, her enchanting eyes wide with horror. That spellbeast was mid-tier bronze! As a wind mage at early-tier bronze, she barely managed to flee from it. How could a tier-iron swordsman like Alan possibly kill it? And in such a short time?

In her momentary shock, the smell of blood snapped her back to reality, her face now filled with dread. If Alan could dispatch a spellbeast like that, she was no match for him!

She tried to flee, but the ground beneath her feet suddenly shifted, like two large hands rising from the earth to seize her legs. Her eyes widened in panic, sensing the mind power emanating from Alan.

A magus! Alan was also a magus!

Her fear intensified, and she summoned spiraling wind magic to shatter the earth holding her feet. She then turned to the carriage, ready to take control and flee.

However, in the brief moment she escaped the earthen bind, Alan closed the distance, his sword now at her throat.

The cold blade against her neck made her scalp tingle as she halted all movement and shouted, "Don't kill me! I'm Janes, the second wife of House Blackwood! Kill me, and you'll never leave Snowguard City!"

Her words had barely left her mouth when the sound of galloping horses shattered the silence, drawing closer from afar.

Janes glanced at the encroaching armored riders, her terror visibly fading as her confidence returned. "They're here! Release me, now. If you so much as harm a single hair, they won't let you live!"

At her words, the iron-armored knights surrounded the carriage. The leader, a man in an iron mask, glared icily at Alan and shouted, "Who are you? Release the second wife!"

Seeing the captain speak, Janes scolded angrily, her ample chest trembling slightly. "What took you so long? Were you planning to let me die here?"

The knights remained indifferent to her berating, familiar with her fiery temper. They only kept their gazes fixed on the unmoving Alan.

"My name is Victor, captain of House Blackwood's iron-armored knights. This is our second wife, Janes. Release her, and I'll spare your life!"

Alan glanced over them—there were about twenty knights, a considerable number. But they were all tier-iron mages, with only the leader, Victor, at early-tier bronze.

These men were of no concern to Alan. Moreover, he knew House Blackwood was a bandit crew that operated outside Snowguard City, notorious for their ruthless robberies. They were hardly the sort to honor their word. Trusting them could only lead to death.

Alan shook his head slightly. "I didn't come here looking for a fight, but since you've brought yourselves to me, I may as well rid the world of some scum!"

The words had barely left his lips when Janes' eyes widened. She reached for a dagger at her waist, but Alan's strike was too swift. She felt her world spin as her head hit the ground.

Victor and the other knights watched with darkened expressions, glaring at Alan with fury and murderous intent.

"You're done for!" Victor sneered. "Janes was the master's favorite! Killing her means you'll never leave Snowguard City alive!"

With that, he raised his sword to lead a charge, his fury aimed at Alan.

But Alan's gaze was colder than winter itself. It wasn't the gaze of a typical youth. Recalling the headless spellbeast's corpse nearby, Victor felt a chill creeping over him, hastily pulling back on his reins.

"Who…who are you?"