302-312

Chapter 302: Isolated without Help

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

The glaring sun rays instantly forced everyone to narrow their eyes upon exiting the tunnel. The clamors came crashing into them. In an instant, everyone held their breaths as though a huge wave was about to engulf them. Soon enough, the brilliance dissipated and up until this moment, they could finally see the arena clearly.

Apart from Rhode, everyone was silenced.

It wasn't that they didn't go through similar situations. During the fight in the underground colosseum, Anne and the rest had experienced this once. But, the area was decorated simply and was a broken beast colosseum, so how could they compare it to the Sacred Arena?

"Oh gosh..."

Joey trembled his way out of the tunnel and looked attentively at the audience. Although the three-meters tall wall guaranteed their safety from the sea of people, Joey was still scared out of his wits upon facing such a spectacular scene. The rest weren't any better. Randolf and Lapis were pale while Lize held her hands to her chest and took in deep breaths to calm herself down. However, it wasn't any easy feat.

That was why Anne wasn't a normal human to start with.

After everyone from Starlight emerged on the arena, the cheers increased massively, which left Lize and the rest at their wits' ends. They stared blankly into the black tide of people. They felt that the increase in speaking volume should be more or less related to them, but they couldn't figure them out. The voices from all directions were like house flies around their ears and even they couldn't hear themselves.

Why is it this scary?

As everyone exchanged worried looks, the clamors in their ears weakened within seconds. Then, the noises once again burst into a roaring thunderstorm of cheers!

That's right, cheers!

The loud cheers shook Lapis so much that her legs softened and she collapsed to the ground. The rest weren't anywhere better as they felt like little animals who were about to meet their hunters. They curled up and scanned the surroundings nervously. At this moment, on the other side of the arena, the members of the Sky Sword Guild had emerged.

It seemed like the cheers were for them.

Although Rhode had introduced them to his members, they couldn't understand why a guild could have such strong influence.

They couldn't be blamed. They had always lived in Paphield, which lacked strong and consistent guilds. Hiller's Burning Blade always lacked vigor, so Lize and the others weren't familiar with the influence a guild could have on the people. They only knew that a guild could have strong influence, but wasn't sure as to what extent.

But Rhode was clear about it.

One of the most important reasons as to why guilds were popular amongst the civilians was that they weren't official organizations, which represented the voice of civilian's benefits. The guilds controlled a certain territory and affected the lives of the civilians. Taking the four guilds for example; Cole Falcon represented the trade associations and political rights in the high plains, Purple Lily represented the poor civilians in the Desolated Grounds, the Liberty Wings' backing was the impoverished social class in the Southern Port, and the Sky Sword's influential range covered the Southern riches and noble elites.

And because both sides benefited each other, the guilds were popular amongst the people. Of course, it was because of this that the conflicts between them were so deep, just like the discrimination of regions that existed in every world.

The conflict between Cole Falcon and Sky Sword was actually the simplest to understand. Their targets were simple as they represented the King's Party's controlling class, Reformist Party's elites, and merchant groups in the fight for the Munn Kingdom's regime's authority. The King's Party racked their brains to force away the Reformist Party, and the Reformist Party tried their best to overthrow the King and form a ruling class of their own. This was purely just the fight for authority.

But compared to them, Purple Lily and Liberty Wings had the most complicated conflict. The reason was simple. The Southern Port thought that the King's Party of Munn Kingdom was overly-protective of the Desolated Grounds and in turn ignored their living standards. However, the people of Desolated Grounds objected this saying. For example, the poor people from the Southern Port belonged to those who couldn't afford white bread, but was able to afford black bread if they worked harder. That was why their request to the King's Party was to at least have white bread for every meal.

However, the civilians of the Desolated Grounds couldn't afford white bread and could only afford black bread after they worked hard, and if they didn't work, they would starve to death. That was why they wished that they could at least have black bread, and whereas for the white bread... They didn't want to think about it temporarily.

The people of Desolated Grounds thought that the idiots from Southern Port were lazy and asking for too much. The idiots could at least afford black bread, but still wished for assistance? What logic was that? In turn, the Southern Port's point of view was that it was the Desolated Grounds' own issues that they couldn't afford black bread and it wasn't a reason to steal their rights to ask for white bread.

If you people were more capable and didn't become the slaves of the King's Party, then you wouldn't have issues of not affording black bread. We are not a bunch of brainwashed slaves because we have our own ideals and expectations. Affording white bread is our right, so why do you even care? And besides, even if we're poor, we still have freedom and pride. Even if we die in the river due to starvation, that's also our freedom of choice. Look at yourself! Not only you're poor, but you also don't have freedom or pride at all!

Of course. Such words weren't nice to the people of Desolated Grounds. If it weren't for the King's Party, perhaps they couldn't even afford black bread and could be dead by now. And those Southern bastards obviously were the ones trying to break their way to make a living, so what did it have to do with the King's Party?

Due to the conflicts, the neighbouring civilians disregarded one another. Of course, they were civilians of the Munn Kingdom, after all, so they wouldn't possibly form a military clique for riot and the guilds were there to become their strongest support. They couldn't battle on their own, but they could rely on the guilds to fight in this Midsummer Festival to dissolve the conflicts. At least this was better than a real war, right?

But now, the Paphield region was in an awkward situation. Although they belonged to the King's Party, they became rather low profile as they didn't have a representative who always represented themselves. They also couldn't meddle with the conflicts between the King's Party and Reformist Party. However, it was also due to this that they couldn't possibly come to the Midsummer Festival and support the guild of their region wholeheartedly. This was bad news to Rhode. Besides, Paphield had plentiful natural resources and didn't have many deep conflicts with other regions.

No enemy meant no cohesion. No goals meant no supporters. That was why Rhode's Starlight could be said to be fighting this solo. In this arena filled with 100k people, apart from his mercenary group which had less than a hundred members, there were no other Starlight supporters and it felt like hell to them.

In fact, no one trusted that Starlight would win.

"Sky Sword! Sky Sword! Sky Sword!"

The cheers for the Sky Sword Guild boomed and left Lize and the others as white as paper. They even felt that standing there was an utter mistake with no one supporting them. They couldn't even see any allies. Of course, the Starlight members were sitting at the high stage not far behind them, but just as Lize and the rest subconsciously turned around and sought for support, all they could see was a sea of people.

They couldn't even see who was in it.

This left them depressed.

At the same time, a discouraging thought emerged in their heads.

"Can we still win this?"

But, this wasn't a question of yes or no to Rhode.

Apart from winning, he would never accept any other outcome.

Rhode remained calm and stared at the opposing five members. Then, he gestured to Joey.

"Joey. Go. Remember my words... Lose properly."

Chapter 303: Failure Requires Skill

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Ooo... Ooo... Ooo...

The deep, thunderous bugle horns sounded and cheers resonated in the whole arena. Then, the Sky Sword Guild stepped into the arena.

Just as their name suggested, the Sky Sword Guild consisted of mainly Swordsmen. In the Dragon Soul Continent, Swordsman was an universal job that consisted of the double-handed swordsmen and heavy-swordsmen who focused on offence, and Shield Warriors and Dagger-swordsmen who focused on defence. Rhode's Spirit Swordsman class could be considered one of the Swordsman. Of course, this was still controversial among the players.

The Sky Sword Guild sent out their first member, who was a double-handed swordsman. He wore a purple cape and stepped onto the arena proudly under the heavy cheers from the crowd. Two swords emanating purple radiance and of different length hung around his waist. It was obvious that this double-handed swordsman was familiar with such occasions. He brought on an appropriate smile and pumped his right fist in the air which pumped the crowd.

"Golan! Golan! Golan!"

It was apparent that no one was worried that he would be defeated. As Joey stepped onto the arena, the cheers stopped and was replaced with a series of laughter.

Compared to the steady and calm Golan, Joey was like a country bumpkin who hadn't seen the world. He peered left and right and stooped over like a guilty thief. The audience burst into laughter and Golan let out a sneer.

Joey was totally numb as he instinctively followed Rhode's command and stepped onto the arena. He was even more confused after hearing Rhode's final instructions to "lose properly".

What? How do I lose properly? Do I even have a chance to win at all? But, how should I fight?

Joey felt embarrassed. He wished to escape, but Rhode's ice cold eyes staring at him were like long swords fixating him to the ground.

It seems like I can't run away.

Joey gritted his teeth, lifted his head, and stared at Golan. Since I'm going to lose anyway, I'll let you have a taste of my medicine!

Joey didn't expect that his solemn expression turned out to be more of a joke to his opponent. Golan let out a sneer even though Mobis had advised him to not belittle the members of this mercenary group. But it seemed that this lad's behavior was nothing more than a newbie's.

Do I even need to be careful of him?

Although Golan ignored his leader, Mobis', reminder, he had to raise his spirits and bow respectfully. Joey, on the other hand, stared blankly and only until Golan finished his greetings did Joey returned from his daze. He hurriedly extended his hand and replied in an inappropriate manner.

"Hahahaha...!"

Joey's ridiculous actions once again triggered a series of laughter in the crowd. Although they thought that Starlight must only be here to go through the motions, it seemed that they were rather interesting. At least they brought them entertainment.

Marlene's expression turned sour while Lize hopelessly lowered her head. But they couldn't be blamed, because, after all, Joey's behavior had indeed thrown the face of the mercenary group. Marlene wished that she could be the one to finish Joey for embarrassing the mercenary group.

Only Rhode remained expressionless with both arms tucked in front of his chest as he stared coldly at every movement in the arena.

At this moment, the judge in charge of this competition and the member of the Mercenary Association had arrived at the arena.They exchanged a few comments regarding the dos and don'ts of the competition and stepped to the side. Then, they raised their right hands and swung down in unison.

The battle began!

"Rest assured, I will defeat you painlessly."

Golan revealed a relaxed smile as he dashed forward in a split second. Two shimmering, ice-cold blade lights drew an arc in the air!

Joey stared blankly at the arcs falling from the sky.

Then, at this moment, he instinctively moved.

"What?"

Golan opened his eyes wide.

He witnessed the foolish little thief dodging between the gaps and leaping backward in lightning speed. He only felt his vision flash and when he reacted, Joey had shifted to a position that was more than ten meters away.

What's going on?

Golan was stunned. Although this attack wasn't his best, no one could escape his high speed and technique. But now... This little Thief actually evaded his attacks?

Joey was surprised by his movements too. At this moment, his face was full of amazement. In fact, he was dumbfounded. He had the urge to close his eyes and be defeated by the opponent, but just as Golan swung his sword, he realised something incredible.

Why is he so slow?

Although Golan didn't give his all in that attack, his attack speed as a double-handed swordsman shouldn't be disregarded. The audience saw two afterimages of blade lights, but the two blade lights appeared in slow motion in Joey's eyes. How could he not evade such a slow attack?

Golan was shocked that this unremarkable-looking thief dodged his attack.

Is this an elite of a guild? They shouldn't be this weak, right? Joey asked inwardly.

"Interesting..."

Golan didn't know how Joey dodged his attack, but this peaked his curiosity. He lifted his head and smiled. That's right, he's a newbie.

Golan had struggled in the mercenary world for years, so he could instantly recognize a newbie. Not only was this kid nervous, but his eyes were also wandering. He didn't look like someone who would disguise himself, so was that a coincidence?

Golan puckered his brows. Yes, I must have probably too casually and didn't put enough pressure on him. So then, time for me to get serious.

Golan returned to his senses. Then, he dashed forward in a blink of an eye. This time, he had given it his all. He brandished his swords and streaked arcs of blade light in midair once more!

The next scene was an eye opener. Joey desperately dodged left and right while swinging his daggers pathetically. Golan increased his speed and his two blade lights grew ever brighter. The audience yelled out his name in excitement. Golan had this match in the bag and what about that worthless Thief? What else could he do other than dodge?

Golan was slowly becoming flustered. He had used 90% of his strength, but this newbie-like Thief parried them all! He clearly felt that every strike from his sword was blocked or struck away by the newbie's daggers.

This kid... How is this possible? It might be coincidental once or twice. But... Could this even be considered a coincidence?

Golan's heart sank.

It was just as Golan had thought.

Although Joey's movements were indeed at a loss from the start, he quickly realised that the opponent's attack didn't seem to be as vicious as he thought. It felt just like a high school student nervously stepping into the examination hall for an important exam. He gritted his teeth and flipped his exam paper around before realizing that it was as easy as primary school mathematics.

What's going on?

Joey couldn't figure out the current situation, or perhaps he didn't notice that he had been through training sessions with the most skillful Thief in this whole continent in the mirage. After experiencing the true rain of blows from the very best, Golan's attacks were as light as drizzle.

But... Instinct couldn't win him fights, after all.

As an experienced mercenary, Golan was quick to realise that this newbie was only a newbie.

Even though Joey parried and blocked Golan's attacks, the latter sensed doubts and hesitations in his eyes. Golan believed that the reason why Joey defended against his attacks was solely based on instinct!

But even so, this was enough to stun Golan because, although his double-handed sword skills hadn't reach a master's standard, his standard wasn't too low too. At this moment, his attacks were easily blocked by this newbie.

This kid... Before he pulls himself together, I have to quickly end this fight!

After making a decision, Golan stopped his attacks abruptly and leaped back to throw a kick.

"What?"

Joey eventually didn't react. He subconsciously stopped brandishing his daggers and hesitated for a moment. Since he had blocked the opponent's attack, should he launch a counterattack or defend?

But wait, Leader wanted me to lose, right?

Before Joey thought of an answer, he saw a fast approaching foot...

Boom!

Golan's foot landed heavily on Joey's stomach and thrusted the latter away. The crowd exploded into ear-deafening cheers. Joey flipped in the air continuously. Then, he balanced himself before landing, but it was too late.

After he landed, the cheers had gotten louder. He lifted his head and realised that he had landed below the arena while Golan looked down at him from above.

Joey had lost.

Chapter 304: The Power of Money

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Sky Sword won the first match.

Even after Golan stepped down from the arena, the cheers from the crowd didn't stop. As a matter of fact, most of the supporters had expected this result. Facing the attacks of the Sky Sword's elites, these mercenary fellows couldn't stand a chance.

Haha, just look at that pathetic little Thief. He couldn't even do anything and got thrashed by Golan. In the end, he was even kicked off the arena. What a shameful sight!

After the cheers ended, the crowd laughed at Rhode's side. Just as Rhode had expected, his mercenary group wasn't popular at all. At the same time, no one was willing to recognize their presence. As for Rhode and his mercenary group, they were more like funny clowns to bring up the mood here.

No one believed that they could win.

"Paphield trash! Go home and eat sh*t!"

"Leave that little chick for me. I'll give you 500 gold coins!"

"Go to hell, lucky bastards! You're no match for the guilds! Bunch of idiots, just look at your pathetic plight."

"Hahahaha, little clowns. Can you be any funnier?"

"This is an arena. and not a place for you to be here, sissies. Go home and cry to your man!"

In an instant, the whole arena was filled with mockery and sarcasm, where even the chain of laughters were unbroken. Marlene's expression turned sour while Lize gritted her teeth and lowered her head in embarrassment. On the other hand, Anne hopped around furiously and was ready to teach them a lesson. However, no matter how strong she was alone, how could she win an argument against 100k people? Every time Anne shouted, her voice was submerged within.

Joey returned with a face full of disappointment. He lost, and lost cowardly because, ever since he stepped onto the arena, he was dumbstruck by the massive crowd and his mind went blank. Then, he was at a loss and under the pressure from Golan, he didn't realise that he had retreated to the edge of the arena. In the end, a kick from the opponent had landed him outside the arena. He felt that the way he lost was too stupid. Furthermore, he knew that his strengths could contend with Golan's and if he pulled a distance away from him and struck from the back, perhaps he wouldn't have lost so badly. Come to think of it, he was a Thief and not a Swordsman. Why did he attack from the front? That was so dumb!

Not to mention, Joey had also become the laughing stock before 100k people. Under such immense pressure, he crumbled. The laughters and sneers that filled his ears instantly drowned him.

At this moment, a calm, cold voice rang in Joey's ears.

"You did well."

Did well?

Joey clenched his fists and was ready to berate the commenter. Then, he turned around and saw Rhode's expressionless face. What could he say to his leader? He gasped and couldn't speak a word.

Although the arena was oddly rowdy, Joey could hear Rhode's voice clearly.

"Now that you experienced their true strength and the atmosphere... This loss will benefit you a lot. Go to the side and experience it even more."

"Yes... Leader."

For unknown reasons, the anger brewing in him vanished. The clamors which made his head spin seemed to have softened by much... He shook his head and sat down without speaking a word.

On the other side, Golan stepped down from the arena and his expression wasn't as relaxed as it was when he first stepped onto the arena.

"How did it feel, Golan?"

Kalman approached Golan and asked. Kalman was a heavy-swordsman and the second member to battle. Although Golan had won the battle easily, Kalman realised that Golan's expression wasn't as relaxed as he expected.

"It's difficult to say.."

Golan turned to Starlight and shook his head.

"Kalman, I feel like those people aren't easy to deal with... Although there were indeed inexperienced newbies among them, their battle techniques aren't too weak... So you'd better be careful."

"Huh? What do you mean? I don't understand..."

Kalman wasn't able to finish his sentence, because as he turned to the arena, he turned pale as though he had seen something frightening. Golan also turned around curiously. They witnessed a beautiful young lady clad in a robe. She had silver-whitish hair and liquor-red eyes.

Marlene Senia.

Unlike Joey, Marlene was well known throughout the Munn Kingdom. As a rare magical genius, and the heir of Senia Family, everyone knew that Marlene would be taking over the huge noble family... Due to her sensitive identity, she became the most troublesome character within Starlight. Everyone knew who was backing her and what if they injured her in the arena? Wouldn't that be the same as going against the Senia Family?

Although it would mean that the Senia Family's powers were weakened if the Reformist Party had a chance to kill Marlene, this was only an idea that brainless people would have. The Senia Family's held strong authority in the Munn Kingdom and had formidable strength with the Eastern Plain and southern Trade Associations. They formed the three main forces of the Munn Kingdom. Besides, they held advanced magical technologies and also the Mage Army, which was the strongest forces of the Munn Kingdom. If the Reformist Party was brave enough to kill off Marlene Senia, they had better be ready for the Senia Family's rage. Not only that, but Lydia, who also hadn't been in their good books, would use this opportunity to strike the Reformist Party down. Once both sides turned into allies, there was no surprise if all members of the Reformist Party would be massacred...

Only an idiot would do such a dangerous matter!

Everyone from the Sky Sword Guild were stunned. According to Mobis, a powerful person like Marlene would only be placed as the third member or onward. However, they didn't expect that Rhode would place her as the second!

What now?

"Leader?"

Kalman turned to Mobis as he wasn't mentally prepared to fight her! Apart from speaking about the magical genius' abilities, just her identity was enough to give him a headache.

On the contrary, Mobis remained calm. He observed Marlene for a moment before nodding to Kalman.

"Go."

After Marlene stepped onto the arena, the sneers targeting Starlight turned softer. After all, many within the audience had received assistance from the Senia Family so they wouldn't dare to criticize or ridicule Marlene. Of course, the Reformist Party members wouldn't be so polite because they knew that Marlene couldn't do anything to them.

"Oh oh oh! It's Marlene Senia!"

"Come on, chick. Strip your clothes. Is the color of your hair below the same as on top?"

"Senia is a pile of sh*t!! A pile of sh*t!!"

"I banged your mom last night, young lady. Let me taste if there's any difference between you and her!"

Marlene didn't respond to the criticism at all. Although they didn't feel good about Starlight, their feelings toward the Senia Family were still decent. Some in the audience stood up for her.

But Marlene turned a deaf ear to all. She held her staff and coldly stared at Mobis and his men. Then, Kalman stepped onto the arena.

As a barbarian, Kalman was two-meters tall and Marlene was only to the height of his chest, and the difference needed no explanations. The Sky Sword Guild supporters cheered excitedly at this sight.

"Kalman! Kalman!"

"Tear her clothes and strip her clean! Let her know our might!"

A group of people cheered as though they were the ones in the arena and facing the young lady.

Marlene's expression remained unchanged. However, Kalman puckered his brows because he sensed the strong will and murderous intent emanating from her. The murderous intent was so dense that even the he felt chills all over. That wasn't the reaction after being aggravated, but was the aura of someone who had been through real battles... Could it be that this young lady had experienced battles?

Kalman's heart sank. Before the start of the competition, he heard from Mobis that Marlene headed to Paphield to gain battle experience. However, he and his companions didn't have any opinions about it. This was nothing more than making an ordinary matter special. At the very most, she could only kill a rabbit... What battle experience were they talking about?

But now, Kalman had no choice but to withdraw this thought.

He bowed respectfully to Marlene. The latter stooped forward slightly and Kalman pulled out his long sword and took two steps forward.

At this moment, Rhode had already covered his eyes and couldn't bear to witness this scene.

The battle began.

Kalman bellowed and stomped his way forward. Then, he raised his enormous sword which swept up a tornado to Marlene.

He knew that he had to shorten the distance between them in order to disrupt her spell casting momentum. That way, she wouldn't be of any threat to him at all. On the contrary, if he gave her time to cast spells, he would be in for a huge trouble!

He was quick with his movements. In just two to three large strides, he had arrived at Marlene's face. At this moment, Marlene had just lifted her staff and drew half of her magical symbols.

Victory is mine!

Kalman became more confident as he brandished his huge sword. But, he didn't notice the magical radiance emanating from Marlene's earring.

Screech—!

A sharp sound of friction rang while Kalman swung his huge sword. Then, a thick wall of ice burst from the ground and negated his attack. His sword hacked through one-third of it and lost its momentum. Then, icy-cold air erupted from the ice wall and blasted at Kalman.

"Damn it!"

Kalman hurriedly withdrew his sword and at this moment, Marlene's spell had completed.

"Criy!"

She blasted a stream of air forward and the solid ice wall exploded instantly. Countless broken bits struck Kalman, which forced him back. He raised his huge sword to defend himself from the ice storm but flames flashed before his eyes.

Marlene didn't chant her spell for nothing.

A dozen flame snakes emerged behind the ice storm and headed for their target. This time, Kalman gave it his all. He withstood the ice storm and bulged his muscles. Then, he swung his sword with both hands violently.

That was one of the killer blows of the heavy-swordsman, Whirlwind Slash!

The powerful tornado deflected the menacing icy storm. Not only that, but the dozen of flame snakes vanished after being sucked into it. But none of this affecting Marlene because as she released the flames, her body became as light as a feather. She stepped back slightly. At the same time, the staff in her hand continued to flicker with a magical ray that converged into complicated runes. It was apparent that she was preparing for a strong magic spell!

Kalman also witnessed it.

Marlene stepped back while he tossed his huge sword forward like an arrow!

Everything happened in a few seconds. But, no matter how fast Marlene retreated, she wouldn't be faster than a sword thrown at full speed. Shortly after, everyone witnessed the sword almost striking her body and it was as though the huge sword would pierce through her body as soon as they blinked.

Of course. Kalman wouldn't be that dumb as to kill Marlene. His sword was headed for her arm to disrupt her spell casting. As long as he prevented her from casting spells, he had a chance of winning.

However, Marlene didn't need to dodge at all.

Her robe emanated a dazzling purple radiance.

In an instant, everyone was blinded and they realised that the huge sword pierced into the ground after they blinked.

"She's there!"

Then, Marlene reappeared behind Kalman with her staff. Meanwhile, the glowing magical runes were about to link up perfectly.

"Damn!"

Kalman's heart sank. Marlene's equipment was too powerful and he had no chance of defending. He had no time to consider his next moves anymore!

Kalman leaped up and dashed for his huge sword.

However, he was too slow because at this moment, Marlene's magical runes had linked up completely in the sky.

Chapter 305: Bewildering Situation

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Kalman dashed for Marlene. On the other hand, Rhode turned around as he couldn't bear to watch.

But he wasn't afraid that Marlene would lose terribly. In fact, after witnessing Marlene's equipment, he knew that this would be a tragedy for the opponent... Even though Kalman was a powerful foe in the Master Stage, there was only one road to disaster for him. Not to mention, Marlene's actual strength wasn't anywhere lower than Kalman's, and with the boost from the god-tier equipment... The NPCs who were 20 levels higher would even need to kneel before her!

Ear drops that could instantly summon an ice wall. A Moon bracelet that could enhance magical damage. A Nightmare robe that could engage in close-range battle and teleportation. A Medusa necklace that could provide petrification defense...

Wealthy kids shouldn't be messed with and it was even more so for those who knew how to use their money to their advantage.

My barbarian friend... Have a good journey.

As Rhode gave his heartfelt prayers for Kalman, Marlene's magic spell finally erupted.

The magical runes linked up and in the blink of an eye, a pitch-black cloud of smoke burst out. Then, lightning struck out from within.

Chain Thunder!

This was one of the strongest magical skills. In an instant, the audience witnessed thousands of lightning chains striking out from the pitch-black cloud. The ear-deafening thunder roars suppressed the cheers and hisses of the crowd. Broken bits of rock scattered as the aftermath of the shattered slab. The audience's heart sank—could Kalman survive this?

As this thought flashed through their minds, a huge shadow burst out from within the pitch-black smoke.

Kalman darted out.

However, his condition wasn't looking good. Everyone saw that this sturdy heavy-swordsman had been seriously wounded. Even though he was a strong barbarian swordsman, the thunder strikes weren't any weaker. He had escaped from the smoke with a layer of his skin damaged.

On the other hand, Marlene was actually waiting for this moment.

Icy-cold gales rose from the ground and instantly froze his feet. Then, a vibrant magical missile storm blasted him heavily. The powerful impact tore apart his fractured defense and lifted him off the ground. At this moment, Marlene looked as if she were torturing a drowning dog. She lifted her staff once more.

A thick wall of ice burst out from the ground and smashed into him. This time, he finally couldn't withstand it any longer. He screamed painfully and crashed outside the arena.

The battle ended.

The arena was in dead silence. Marlene lowered her staff and stepped down the arena. Up until this moment, the judge who had been admiring the battle finally woke up from his daze. He announced the winner with a shaky voice and dispatched medics to treat the loser.

"Good job."

Rhode nodded and Marlene's gloomy face faded into a smile. In fact, she didn't intend to deal such a huge blow to her opponent, but after the mockeries from the audience, she couldn't help but vent her frustrations. Moreover, Kalman was a mercenary from the Reformist Party. The Reformist Party was worried about killing Marlene, but she wasn't the least bit worried that she would get into trouble for killing them.

Now, after thrashing the pitiful guy from the Reformist Party, the rage in Marlene's heart simmered down and her face wasn't as sour anymore. She lifted her head and revealed a smile before stepping down. Rhode shrugged but before he was able to speak, Gillian emerged before him in a flash.

"Master, what should I do? Win or lose?"

The fox-eared young lady twitched her ears and swayed her tail. It was apparent that Gillian was ready to start some trouble. Rhode sighed and turned to Mobis, who was sulking.

"Suit your mood."

Rhode gave an ambiguous answer. Gillian displayed a cheeky smile, took two steps forward and clinged onto Rhode. Then, she lifted her head and said softly into his ear.

"Got it, Master. Then, please admire this good show of mine... If I win, you have to give me a reward, okay? I have been expecting Master's thick, white, creamy, and delicious reward for a long time... So, that's set, okay? Master?"

"You're better off losing then."

"Hehe..."

Gillian let out a chuckle. Then, she leapt back like a graceful butterfly, lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed. She turned around and stepped onto the arena with a sly smile.

At the same time, the third member of the Sky Sword Guild also stepped up.

In such competitions, the third member was always crucial as he held the biggest responsibility in the middle position and formed a bridge between the early and late stages. If the earlier results were bad, he would need to turn the tide around. But, if the results were great, it would be his turn to deal a killer blow to the opponents. Therefore, this position usually belonged to a stronger member the leader trusted.

The third member of the Sky Sword Guild was the vice leader, Carter.

Carter was a Swordsman who was only one step away from the Master Stage. He was also the most trusted assistant of Mobis in the Sky Sword Guild. Although they had lost one match to Marlene, Carter's expression remained unchanged as they knew of Marlene's abilities and expected this loss.

They definitely couldn't lose this next match.

"It's all up to you now, Carter."

Mobis patted on his shoulder while exchanging glances with Rhode. This young man seemed to be more troublesome than he had expected. But, Mobis believed that Rhode wouldn't make a comeback in such situations. Marlene might be strong, but the rest weren't comparable. As long as they followed the plan, Mobis was confident that he had this match up in the bag.

"Leave it to me, Leader."

Carter revealed a determined look. He stripped the leather gloves off his hands and stepped on the arena.

Although he heard that Rhode's Starlight had several weirdos, Carter was still surprised when he saw Gillian. He focused on her swaying tail and twitching ears, at the same time feeling dubious.

Where did this young lady come from? Is she human? Half-beast? Or something else?

Not only Carter, but even most of the audience thought so especially after Gillian exposed her tail and ears. Moreover, due to Marlene's overpowering performance, the audience had forgotten their way to humiliate the 'country bumpkins' anymore. Instead, they were worried. Sky Sword wouldn't lose, would they?!

If they lost, that would be disgraceful!

The audience gazed at the old man who had lived for more than half a century. They hoped that he could bring a victory and relieve them of the anxiousness.

"Oh? It's just an old man?"

Gillian taunted. Carter glared at the young lady, but Gillian didn't seem to be afraid.

"Although I don't mind your remarks, my master taught me to respect the old and cherish the young. So then, mister, how about I give you a chance? You see, if you are willing to admit defeat, I will give you a way out. How about that?"

Gillian was filled with smiles as she tilted her head and looked at Carter.

Carter's expression changed.

"Don't worry, young lady."

He drew his sword and pointed it at her.

"You'll know soon that it's not necessary."

"Oh? But I think you'd better consider it, okay?"

Gillian's smile remain unchanged. She was like a hardworking salesperson who didn't give up after her customer rejected her.

"Isn't this better for both of us?"

"Cut the crap!"

Carter let out a snort and shot a glance at the judge. The latter stepped back and swung his arm down to announce the start of the match.

Go!

The battle began.

Carter gritted his teeth, dashed forward, and brandished his long sword.

One step, two steps, three steps.

But, as he took his forth, he came to an abrupt half and stared with wide eyes.

It wasn't just him; the audience was also at a loss for words.

Gillian stood with her arms folded and a smile plastered on her face. However...

More than a thousand fireballs filled the air behind her. The flames were so glaring that they overwhelmed the radiance of the sun.

"Now... Are you willing to accept my suggestion, old man?"

Chapter 306: Storm of Fireballs

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

"What's this!?"

Viktor stood up and stared in disbelief. Barter's expression changed drastically. Not only them, but the crowd also jumped up from their seats. Above the round arena, the densely-packed fireballs burned fiercely and seemed to have formed the mouth of a menacing devil waiting to devour its prey..

"This..."

Mobis was dumbstruck. Although he wasn't a Mage, he wasn't a newbie either. Therefore, he was clear that no humans could achieve such a high level of magical mastery. Although fireballs weren't considered a high-grade magic spell and could even be considered as the basic of the basics, a Swordsman of Carter's caliber wouldn't even put this child's play into regards. However, when these earth-shattering fireballs were there in tens of thousands, who would disregard them?

Mobis stared blankly at the confident Gillian. Where did this woman come from? With such powerful magical prowess, even the Mages from elite schools couldn't compete against her. However, if she was really such a powerful presence, why didn't they hear of her before?

Mobis noticed that this mercenary group wasn't that simple since he heard that Marlene had joined them. Furthermore, there was also the sudden appearance of the 'princess' . He felt that there was a high possibility that this was scripted by the King's Party to control Paphield. After all, Marlene's identity was too sensitive with the strong forces of the Senia Family. Also, Paphield had spent most of their time remaining neutral in positions, so there was a possibility that the Reformist Party had brought them under a lot of pressure. However, to Mobis, this was no big deal since the King's Party had to put up a show and couldn't possibly seek popular elites in this shady business. The Reformist Party would smear their reputation even further.

Just as Mobis expected, other than Marlene who was well known, the other members were unheard of. Although it was possible that they were hidden aces from the King's Party, the Reformist Party would've known how many aces were up their sleeves after the years of conflicts between them.

But now, this young lady was totally out of Mobis' expectations!

She instantly summoned a barrage of fireballs without even charging her spells beforehand. Even though Mobis wasn't a mage, he knew how difficult it was to achieve this. Even those Mages he knew weren't able to achieve such heights...Damn it, where exactly did this woman come from?!

Mobis gazed at Rhode and after noticing his black hair and pupils, he was distracted.

Could it be that these people hailed from the Eastern Plains?

A thought emerged in his head and he felt cold sweat all over his body. The more he thought of the possibilities, the more fearful he was. Indeed, he had never heard of a Mage named "Gillian". However, the Eastern Plain was a sealed, desolate area known for its inaccessibility, and it could even be said that other than the locally born and bred, no one from the outside knew what elites it produced and how powerful they were. If Gillian came from Eastern Plains just like that young man, it wouldn't be too surprising why he didn't hear her name before!

But now... Mobis took in a deep breath and turned his attention to Carter nervously.

What do you intend to do, old mate?

In fact, Carter was at a loss too.

As far as he saw, the air was filled with burning, crackling fireballs as though an invisible wall blocking his path. Not only that, but the air was also filled with choking fumes—he had difficulties breathing.

On the contrary, Gillian displayed a cheeky smile. The fireballs were like her obedient pets hovering around her and they didn't even light up a single strand of her hair. The fireballs also flowed off her hair tips like water, which beautified her even more...

Like Mobis, Carter felt that this young lady definitely wasn't an ordinary Mage. An ordinary Mage's control over the flames couldn't be that powerful, so who exactly was she?

But, it wasn't the time for Carter to solve the riddle now because he found out that he might need to consider Gillian's suggestion.

He had two choices. Either listen to Gillian's suggestion and admit defeat, or scream "All of this is just an illusion!" and gamble for it. After all, in this world, there wasn't any Mage who could instantly summon so many fireballs!

His opponent must be using some sort of an illusionary spell to force himself out of the competition. Yes, this was possible.

But what if it was not?

Carter gave up considering this possibility...

So then, exactly what choice should he choose?

Carter took two steps backwards.

Afterwards, he stopped his movement and bent over slightly before leaping forward towards Gillian!

I'm going to gamble for it!

This was Carter's final decision!

Gillian's reaction wasn't slow either. As Carter exploded forward, the fireballs hovering in midair linked up and formed a large wave of flames. The audience held their breath.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

In a series of deep explosions, the splattered flame shrouded Carter entirely. The audience cried nervously as they watched the never-ending sparks and dark billows of smoke. Their hearts almost beat out of their chest. Although killing was prohibited, he probably wouldn't be left with more than half his life after this.

Just as the crowd watched worriedly, an ice-cold radiance shone from within, which instantly disseminated the thick smoke. Then, Carter dashed out!

"Great!"

Although the crowd didn't know what happened, they instantly let out sighs of relief and cheered loudly. This young lady must have purposely used this method to frighten them.

Tch. No wonder she dared Mr. Carter to admit defeat earlier. It was just a trap all along! But it's a pity that in the face of true strength, no traps work!

Many turned their attention to Gillian on the other end with mockery and treated her as a joke.

Her disguise has been stripped, so she must panicking now. Haha! You women only know how to come up with crafty plots and machinations but didn't know that power means everything to a man! As long as you have strength, anything else is transient!

Carter had the same thoughts.

When he was surrounded by the fireballs, he had decided to gamble. However, just as Gillian launched her attacks, he noticed that there were openings between the dense fireballs. This discovery delighted him and even though the openings were nothing to the others, it was enough for him. Using his quick movement, he dodged left and right and finally dashed out!

I did it!

Carter cheered ecstatically and was filled with confidence. Indeed. With Gillian's age, it was an amazing feat that she manipulated that many fireballs at once. However, from the openings between the fireballs she fired, she obviously hadn't fully mastered the art of manipulation. Carter had expected this. After all, there were so many fireballs that it was impossible to control them entirely. But even so, their threat was still huge. If it weren't for Carter doing his utmost best to dodge the attack, perhaps he would've been dead.

Now that he had broken through, he had to take advantage!

Carter lifted his head and stared at his prey. He expected that Gillian would be filled with astonishment. But he was totally wrong.

What was reflected in his eyes was Gillian's effortless smile.

"You dodged my attack, and that's not too bad. So then, let's see how long you can keep this up, okay?"

Gillian's voice rang in his ears. She spoke softly, but for unknown reasons Carter felt an instinctive sense of danger.

Gillian spread her arms apart.

Then, a scarlet card emerged and spun between her arms.

Carter was only a few inches away now. She slammed her palms together and crushed the card.

"Spell of the Red Lotus, Magic Symbol: Seven Hells"

Chapter 307: Two Victories in a Row

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

The scorching heat struck Carter in his face.

Although Carter only needed half a step more to threaten Gillian with his sword, he immediately gave up the thought of striking after the young lady smacked her palms together. He abruptly withdrew his sword and rolled away to draw a distance from her.

Carter made the right decision because just as he rolled away, a one-meter tall fire wall burst out from the ground and blasted at him.

No, it wasn't a fire wall. Perhaps a ring of fire would be more appropriate. It emerged from beside her feet and whirled out. Carter was completely helpless and he had no chance to survive apart from dodging.

The cheers came to a spontaneous end.

Many stared blankly in their cheering posture. After Carter dashed out, they thought this young lady was in deep trouble. Until now, they still believed that her fireballs were an illusion. That's right, everything is an illusion and nothing can't scare me off!

But, the audience didn't use their brains at all. Couldn't one who summoned a massive amount of fireballs in the blink of an eye do that repeatedly?

Carter didn't notice it but the audience observing from above saw everything clearly. There wasn't just one fire ring, but more than one! Like ripples, they spread on the 'pond' that was in the form of this arena.

Carter retreated as he thought that the fire wall was a spell meant for defense and couldn't last long. As long as he drew a distance from her, he shouldn't be too worried at all. At the same time, Carter was also concerned that Gillian would fill the sky with fireballs again. Therefore, it was important for him to have sufficient space to dodge.

He realised that things weren't so simple. He took a few steps back, but the fire wall continued to blast forward. If it continued, he would really need to admit defeat!

Damn it!

Carter's heart sank and finally gave up retreating. If he retreated even further, he would step off the arena.

Of course, Carter didn't want to admit defeat!

Carter let out a snort and leaped over the fire wall.

At this moment, he witnessed a scene that he had never seen before.

Sss...!

In midair, he sucked in a deep breath. There wasn't just one fire wall before him, but two, three, and four. Damn it, these things are endless!

This thought flashed through his mind, but it was too late. After he leaped over the first fire wall, he landed on the second!

If he were an ordinary human, perhaps he would be frightened. He gazed at the scorching hot fire walls under him. He raised his sword, bellowed and brandished!

—!

Powerful airflow erupted from his simple, unadorned blade. Under the strong wind pressure, the fire wall instantly split in half from the middle. Carter somersaulted and stood on the ground firmly.

There's a chance!

The fire wall re-merged behind him, but this didn't turn the his mood sour because from his previous attack, he realised that even though the fire walls were huge, their threats= couldn't be compared to the fire walls summoned by other Mages in terms of strength. So then... it was worth a try!

This idea emerged in his head and the third fire wall appeared before him. This surprised the crowd because from what they observed, Carter was facing bottomless waves and there was nowhere for him to retreat. He was surrounded by scorching flames, so what else could he do?

Carter lifted his sword, snarled, and slashed!

The stream of blade air erupted all the way forward!

The fire walls were instantly split apart by the strong impact like paper. In an instant, he forcefully paved a lifeline with his sword!

The audience was once again fired up.

What's a man?! That's a man! Never avoiding obstacles and confronting them! That's the way of a man!

The crowd burst into cheers and Carter dashed forward.

However, Gillian's attack hadn't end yet.

A two-meters wide fireball emerged from the fire wall and drifted forward. Carter dodged to the side, but he realised there wasn't only one!

Huge fireballs beside and above him hovered and surrounded him. However, he wasn't worried because although the fireballs were massive, they were slow moving. Besides, there were huge openings between them.

Carter realized that he had guessed wrong again.

As he prepared to slip between the fireballs and strike forward at the same time, the 'harmless' fireball split up!

Not only that, but the other huge fireballs beside and above him also divided into two, two to four, and four to eight... In the blink of an eye, the fireballs burned brighter and shrouded him entirely. This time, he couldn't evade anymore.

He futilely brandished his sword and dissipated the fireball aiming for him. At the same time, the thousands of small fireballs had arrived at his feet.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

A series of deep explosions boomed. Fire sparks and dust splashed.

Everyone stared with wide eyes and prayed for Carter to leap out from the smoke. But this time, the scene wasn't as they imagined. After countless fireballs exploded, wave-like flame walls burst out on the arena arena and they witnessed a burning figure crashing outside the arena.

The battle ended.

Gillian effortlessly snapped her fingers and the flames vanished. She proudly faced the silent crowd, let out a chuckle and left with her wagging tail. But this time, she didn't receive any hisses at all because the audience stared in silence at Mobis rushed toward the fallen, charred figure. Mobis requested for assistance and a Cleric hurriedly treated Carter's wounds. Luckily, Gillian knew her limits. Although Carter seemed to have become a fried pork cutlet, his injuries weren't serious. It was only the aftermath left behind that was a ghastly sight.

But now, everyone's concern wasn't about Carter's life and death.

A ridiculous thought formed in their heads.

Sky Sword... wouldn't lose, right?!

The audience took in deep breaths. After all, Sky Sword was a mighty guild and Starlight was only formed for less than half a year. Could it be that they could defeat such a powerful guild?

No one believed that this was the truth. But now, there was a high possibility. Sky Sword won one match and Starlight won two. Not only that, but Starlight also won their two matches without pressure. If they won by a short margin, the crowd would believe that it was only Sky Sword's bad luck and they were too careless against Starlight. But was that the truth?

Carter was played like a dog. From the start, he was tricked from Gillian and blasted away before even laying a finger on her. Kalman was luckier because everyone knew who Marlene was and being defeated by a rare magical genius wasn't too embarrassing. But for Carter, no one knew where Gillian came from and in the end? Before they realised what the young lady was up to, she had already swept Carter off the arena like a fallen leaf!

The differences in their strength were obvious.

The audience had lost the mood to ridicule Starlight. They stared blankly with fear.

Could the Sky Sword that they had been supporting lose to this country bumpkin of a mercenary group?

It was undoubtedly a sunny, summer day, but the audience shivered and felt a chill down their spines.

They were frightened.

Chapter 308: Rhode's Miscalculation

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

It wasn't illogical for the supporters to be worried.

Because both sides had agreed to a three wins in five matches format and the side that won three matches first would win the event. Of course, they believed in Mobis, but Mobis was placed the last. In other words, if the first four members were unable to defeat the first four members of Starlight, it would serve no purpose even if Mobis could win and Sky Sword would be eliminated.

Those supporters were anxious. The guilds didn't just represent them, but also the rights and conflict for their regional civilians. In other words, the civilians would be humiliated if they entered other regions.

"Hey, you people from the Southern Port were defeated by a bunch of girls. How can you even compare yourselves to us, men of the North?"

The instant they thought of the possible humiliations, they couldn't sit still any longer. They stood up, snarled, and urged Sky Sword to buck up and take down the mercenary group. No matter what, they definitely couldn't lose to those bastards!

"Hey, what do you think, Viktor?"

Barter sat in the private room and observed the young lady who had clinged to Rhode with her wagging tail. However, Rhode got away from her mercilessly. Then, Barter turned to Viktor.

"These guys... seem stronger than we thought."

"Did you really think that a mercenary group that shut themselves for training the moment they arrived at Golden City would only be here to be wrecked?" Viktor said. His Cole Falcon's intel gathering had pretty much answered his doubts about Rhode and his men before the competition. But...

"Who exactly is that young lady? She didn't look like a Mage."

Barter touched his chin and frowned. His expression was way more stern than Viktor's because the winner of this competition would take on his Purple Lily Guild. Barter thought that the Sky Sword wouldn't have any problems winning their matches, but now, Starlight, who he had belittled, actually won two matches in a row! Apart from the terrible loss from their first round, the remaining two matches were won effortlessly!

Such strength... gave Barter a huge headache.

Deep in his heart, he was ecstatic to see the Reformist Party defeated by Starlight because the Sky Sword Guild had always been representing the prosperous class of the South. And to these people, they thought that money would bring them a class higher than the untouchables, coolies from the North, and slaves from the West. In other words, they were only dirty, low-class humans that weren't as elegant... Now that the Sky Sword was about to lose, the next match was going to be exciting. Barter would definitely use this opportunity to deride this bunch of idiots.

On the other hand, he felt conflicted. After all, Starlight was still a mysterious group and Barter couldn't think of any strategies to take them on. Unlike Sky Sword, who they had fought for years, Barter didn't have any experience facing Starlight...

Barter shook his head.

He stared at the arena and pondered.

Rhode didn't know what Barter was thinking, but he wasn't relaxed at all.

Because he realised that he made a mistake.

"Anne, be more careful," Rhode said.

Anne curiously tilted her head as she couldn't make out what he meant.

"Leader, are you worried about Anne? Is that man over there powerful?"

Of course he was.

Rhode rolled his eyes. Although he had received a warning from Shawn that the Country of Light's parliament would be sending the leader of the Black Blades to assassinate him, he didn't expect the assassin to appear in the arena!

This didn't match up because the Midsummer Festival strictly forbade murder and violators would be stripped off their rights. So even if Carody managed to assassinate Rhode and prevent the Sky Sword Guild from moving onto the next stage, what was the purpose? Also, Starlight's opponent was purely decided by balloting and this guy wouldn't know beforehand.

In the game, Rhode knew Carody well. As a result, it made Rhode rather nervous after witnessing Carody on the arena. This tension was further intensified especially when Carody's opponent wasn't himself.

There definitely was a problem!

Rhode wished that Anne could forfeit this match and if possible, he wished to replace her. But it was a pity that rules were rules and violators would be disqualified. Damn it, how could I forget about this?!

Rhode was hesitant and confused. Anne jumped right into the arena with enthusiasm. Moreover, it was obvious that Anne was angered by the crowd and during the first three matches, she had been exchanging insults with the audience. Although she couldn't face 100k people at once, she didn't have the intentions to stop. Although Rhode tried to intervene, her personality was just so direct that she couldn't tolerate anyone humiliating her friends without apparent reasons. Therefore, even though it was useless, she continued to defend her companions.

Should I make Anne forfeit her match?

Of course, Rhode could do that. Although Anne had a fiery temper, she was always obedient. If he made her forfeit her match, she would eventually agree. All in all, it was Rhode's miscalculations that had led to this. Although Rhode had heard of Carody from Shawn, he didn't know which guild would Carody be in. Furthermore, the participating five members were only decided right before the start of the match. It would be too amazing if Rhode could calculate that Carody would follow the Sky Sword and be placed as the fourth member...

But, this matter was started because of him and he didn't see any reasons for Anne to be the scapegoat. Furthermore, this didn't serve any purpose at all. Although he wasn't certain what Carody was plotting, he knew that this man was brutal and wouldn't care less if the Sky Sword Guild was eliminated from the competition. However, if Anne was hurt and died in the process, it would be a huge loss for him.

"I can tell you that this man is powerful. Much more powerful than you."

Rhode decided to spill the beans with her.

"This man isn't an ordinary human. He is Carody and the leader of the Country of Light parliament's assassination group. Anne, he is much stronger than you and I confirm that he's here for me. Anne, this match is dangerous and he will not show any mercy. You may even die."

Anne gazed into Rhode's eyes and said.

"So if Anne dies, will Leader be sad?"

"Of course."

Rhode nodded without hesitations.

"Of course I will be sad, Anne. Although I detest that guy, I can't send you as a scapegoat, after all. So, Anne..."

Anne hurried stepped forward and gave Rhode a tight hug.

"Thanks, Leader."

Her cheerful voice rang in his ears.

"Anne has no intentions of dying either, Leader. But Anne wants to try. No matter who he is, Anne won't admit defeat. Although Anne knows that this is unruly... Leader, can you allow Anne's request?"

Anne released her arms and stood before him.

Rhode shook his head and sighed before gesturing to Lapis.

"Lapis, pass me that potion."

"Ah, yes, Leader."

Lapis withdrew a blue bottle of potion from her pouch and passed it to Rhode. The latter handed it over to Anne.

"Finish this, Anne. I give you five minutes. If you don't step down after five minutes, I will drag you off. Get it?"

"Don't worry, Leader!"

Anne accepted the potion and clenched her fists.

"Anne will not lose!"

Chapter 309: Five Minutes

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Rhode didn't let Anne know what potion he passed to her. She took it over, finished it, and swung her tiny fist in midair to protest against the audience. She didn't feel any effects from the potion apart from a cooling sensation flowing down her throat.

Most of the audience covered their mouths and watched in anxiety because they knew what consequences there would be if Sky Sword lost. They didn't even dare to think about it.

Furthermore, not many knew that this man who had concealed himself in full black and even members of the Sky Sword didn't meet him before. Who exactly is this man? Why is he here to represent the Sky Sword?

Such thoughts flashed in their minds.

Except for Rhode.

He gazed at Anne but no one noticed that he had secretly placed his right hand on his sword hilt. Although Anne wasn't weak, it was so coincidental that Carody's battle style was the exact opposite from hers. She was great in frontal combats, but as an assassin, Carody dealt with his enemies from the rear.

Moreover, Carody had a move up his sleeves that Rhode loathed...

Even though Starlight's victory was crucial, it wasn't so important that Anne had to be sacrificed. Although Rhode gave her a potion as an insurance, it wasn't foolproof. If Anne faced any life threatening dangers, he would do whatever he needed to drag her off the arena even if it cost them the competition.

And because of this, Rhode requested for Anne to not leave his sight for up to 15 meters and fight by the edge of the arena. It would be Carody's problem if he chose not to approach.

Although Anne seemed carefree and nonchalant, she always obeyed his instructions.

Of course, Rhode didn't know what was going through her head.

She held her shield and stared at the masked man in the black robe. To Anne, a man who covered from his head to toes wouldn't be a kind person and since he wasn't any good samaritan, she would be wary of him. Moreover, she felt the menacing aura exuding from him. She lacked judgment on her opponent's threat based on their weapons, but Anne was great with her instincts.

Not to mention, Rhode had also warned her.

Anne expanded her shield in the blink of an eye and it became as tall as a human. Then, she carefully took two steps forward behind her shield while staring at her opponent. This was the perfect defense stance of a Shield Warrior. Although it appeared clumsy, it could respond to various attacks in a short period of time.

It could be seen that Anne was dead serious. Although she was carefree, everyone realised that her seriousness wasn't anywhere worse than Marlene or Lize once she set her mind on the match.

The audience were stunned. Everyone thought that she was a grumpy and fiesty person for her to argue with 100k people continuously. Previously, they had mocked her for being a stubborn country bumpkin chick.

They thought that she would charge up the arena with her shield and chew out her opponent instantly. However, they didn't expect that this feisty chick to become a steady person with that defensive stance.

"Oh? Looks great."

Viktor's eyes glinted. As a guild leader, he evaluated Anne's value almost instantly. A Shield Warrior like her carried an important role within a guild and also acted as a crucial defender for the delicate Clerics and Mages. Therefore, they couldn't lose their heads and rush into battlegrounds like normal warriors. That was why when Viktor noticed Anne quarreling with the audience, he was worried for her match. But, he felt sort of glad after witnessing the change in her attitude. It wasn't easy searching for a Shield Warrior with such self-control... Who could even exchange arguments with 100k people then become as calm as water in the blink of an eye?

To Carody, this wasn't even worth a mention.

So insignificant.

Carody stared at Anne and let out a snort.

As an assassin, there was no need to explain Carody's strength. As the leader of the Black Blades, his strength had reached the Master Stage, where a presence like Anne was nothing more than a harmless little dog in his eyes.

Carody was actually unhappy because this mission wasn't under his jurisdiction. In fact, the controversy over the authority of the parliament not only implicated the nearby countries, but also affected the hidden armies. A group of scheming people hoped to include their supporters in the army forces and because of this, the things that Carody had done were made public just for the sake of kicking him out of their camp. Although the other group of people with the parliament president had a headache over this, they decided to allow Carody to temporarily leave this post to carry out this mission for the sake of peace. In the end, Carody received an assassination order before coming to Munn Kingdom.

To Carody, this mission was a total humiliation for an expert assassin like him to arrive at a ghostly place like the Munn Kingdom and assassinate an unknown mercenary group leader. This was totally unreasonable!

With his strength and identity, Carody was angered to be sent on a job that a newbie murderer could accomplish.

Of course, he couldn't fall out with the Country of Light parliament, which was why he vent all his frustrations on his target: Rhode.

That was what he thought initially. After killing Rhode, he could leave immediately. But now, he didn't think it this way. He hoped to make Rhode suffer the taste of fear and pain by killing the ones around him then finally killing him. This would be enough for Carody to vent all his rage.

As for Rhode's strength, Carody didn't care at all. He had his own intelligence network and naturally knew that this young man wasn't any weakling. However, there was also a limit to being strong. Rhode as a mouse and Carody as a cat. How easily could the cat kill off the mouse?

Of course, he had to torture Rhode a little first.

After seeing the number of beauties in the mercenary group, Carody felt even more excited because any ordinary man wouldn't bear to kill women. However, Carody was the opposite. He craved for blood and loved to kill beautiful women. He enjoyed watching their beautiful faces struggle in the face of death, their sweet voices trembled in fear, and their pretty pair of eyes smudged by a layer of darkness as their lives faded away. It couldn't get anymore exciting!

Carody gripped his dagger. He couldn't wait to see this voluptuous, beautiful lady twitch and roll in pain and kick both legs hopelessly in the air before death.

That would be beautiful...

Mobis wasn't aware of Carody's thoughts. Although Mobis had the most authority in Sky Sword, his guild belonged to the Reformist Party and the Reformist Party was the lackey of the Country of Light. Carody was also from the Country of Light's parliament. This relationship couldn't be clearer, which was why Carody suggested to appear in this Midsummer Festival. Mobis could only pinch his nose and agree to his terms because how would he know that Carody's initial thoughts were to murder someone?

At this moment, Mobis was like Rhode, nervously observing the arena because he was concerned about Carody's actions. That was why according to Mobis' plans, if his Sky Sword could achieve three wins in a row, they wouldn't need to fight the fourth match so Carody wouldn't have the chance to create any trouble. This was the reason why Mobis placed Carody in the fourth position, but didn't expect things to take a turn.

At this moment, Carody had become the hero to rescue Sky Sword from their misery!

In an instant, the entire arena fell into silence.

Seconds passed.

Anne didn't have the intention to move forward as she strictly abided to Rhode's command to observe her opponent from the edge of the arena. However, it seemed like Carody didn't have the intentions to make a move too as he stood like a shadow.

Anne sensed that things weren't that simple. Although Carody was only quietly standing there, she realised that she was having a harder time gathering her focus. From the start, she was still able to lock onto Carody's position, but she felt that her eyelids were getting heavier. Although that black fellow didn't move an inch, she felt like she was slowly losing focus on him.

Something's off.

Anne was no newbie like Randolf. She wouldn't believe that this feeling was due to her fatigue. Instead, she sensed a threatening aura approaching her.

It's coming!

Suddenly, Carody disappeared without leaving a trace. Anne adjusted her posture and swung her shield to the right!

Clang!

A pitch-black dagger emerged and struck her solid shield.

Chapter 310: Anne's Counterattack

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

"What?"

Carody exclaimed. At the same time, he didn't stop moving as he continued to hover around her like a shadow finding a chance to strike. What surprised him was that Anne didn't pull away after blocking his attack. Instead, she moved in a clockwise direction and maintained the same rhythm and speed as himself.

... How is this possible?

Carody was stumped.

At this moment, Anne didn't have the mood or time to figure out what this man was thinking anymore. She stared at him and remembered Rhode's orders.

"The moment he attacks, you have to block your right and move clockwise along with his movements. Remember, don't move too quickly. Just follow his pace and don't lose him. If he suddenly disappears before you, don't hesitate..."

Anne stopped moving, leapt back with her shield, and rolled agilely. At this moment, Carody scuttled out from the shadows beneath. If Anne stood where she was, his dagger would have pierced her throat. But now that she had jumped into the air, she drew some distances away from him, which caused him to miss his killing strike. Although Carody had assassination skills, this was totally irrelevant to frontal combat. Carody missed and before the audience was able to notice, he quickly dashed under her. She would be dead as soon as she landed!

Anne predicted his moves. When Carody was below her, she bellowed and expanded her shield. Then, she brandished it like a huge meteorite crashing to the ground.

Normally, such attacks would have been useless to Carody. But it was different this time because they made their moves at the same time. After Carody sneaked behind her, he witnessed a huge shadow sweeping toward him along with strong gales...

Carody was still a human after all, and he couldn't react continuously. Therefore, he had no choice but to retreat. Anne rolled after landing on her feet and leaped up.

This is getting interesting...

Carody narrowed his eyes.

Now he had confirmed that his opponent was familiar with his battle techniques.

That's right, familiar.

From the start, Carody had chosen to avoid—but not many knew that he was a left hander and the direction of his attack was totally unlike others, which was beneficial to him. A killer didn't need to battle, but only needed to kill in a single strike. Once his opponent made a wrong judgement in direction, he could exploit it.

However, he didn't expect that Anne was prepared for his attack. His attacks had always been a surprise to most of his enemies, but appeared crystal clear in her eyes. All of Anne's moves were used in response to his attacks. She leaped up to dodge his special technique 'Shadow Assassination'. This skill allowed him to blend into a shadow for a short period of time and instantly appear in his opponent's shadow and engage in attacks. This attack could be said to be impossible to defend.

However, Anne did it and not only that, she was also prepared for his following attacks.

How is this possible?

Carody became curious.

He had never met Anne and didn't fail after being an assassin for years, which was why it was impossible for this young lady to defeat him.

But how could she be so familiar with his moves?

"Hu..."

Anne took in deep breaths.

It seems that what Leader said was right. This man in black is vicious and scheming. If Leader didn't inform me beforehand, I probably would have lost. But... you, this man in black, do you think you can make Anne cower?

Anne gritted her teeth. She glanced at Rhode using the corners of her eyes.

Anne will never ever let you off. Everyone in the mercenary group is protected by Anne, and you will never have a chance to bully us!

She had made up her mind.

Three minutes left!

Rhode observed the battle anxiously. He didn't have any ideas on how to deal with Carody. Although he could consider exposing Carody's weaknesses to Anne and allow her to take advantage, he considered his fast attack speed and there wouldn't be enough time for her to consider. What now?

Rhode could only think of the stupidest plan: a strategy shift.

In the game, there were many strategies available to defeat this leader of the Black Blades. Rhode might as well explain to Anne the entire process and once the opponent engaged in attack, she would only need to act accordingly. As for the rest, it was all up to god's will.

As now, Rhode didn't have much choices.

How long could she last? This wasn't a game, after all, and Carody wouldn't be as dumb as the NPCs in game who would use the same attacks repeatedly.

At this moment, two minutes had passed. Both of them spent a minute confronting each other and the confusing situation lasted for another 10s of seconds. Now that both sides once again clashed, two minutes had passed and three minutes were left. It was considered a torture to Rhode as he was clear of Anne's strengths and if Carody took the match seriously, it would only require few seconds for him to defeat her. Previously, she was only fortunate that Carody was caught off guard, but it was different now. He felt that Carody was becoming serious.

On one hand, Rhode hoped that the five minutes would be up quickly so he could drag her off the arena. On the other hand, he hoped that the five minutes would come later, so the potion effects would last longer to keep her from being defeated by Carody...

If Rhode knew Anne's thoughts, perhaps he wouldn't be so conflicted and would immediately drag her down.

At this moment, Carody struck!

In the blink an eye, he vanished without a trace. Then, shadows flitted across the arena from all directions. The shadows were indistinct and their presences were almost undetectable.

This was the ability of a master assassin.

Anne switched into her defensive stance and as soon as Carody disappeared, her shield once again changed its form.

Kacha.

The tightly-folded shield expanded abruptly. Then, Anne leaped into midair and at the same time, she ejected countless sharp blades from her shield. In the blink of an eye, the entire shield had divided into four smaller shields and chains dragged them toward the ground.

"Damn!"

Rhode's heart sank. Anne's performance was totally out of his expectations.What is she trying to do?

The shield smashed into the ground, but failed to defend against the four illusionary shadows.

"Ah!"

The audience yelled fearfully because they clearly witnessed Carody appearing beside Anne and his dagger had arrived at her chest! Just a little more and it would pierce through her heart!

"Anne!"

Marlene and Lize shrieked in horror. This scene was so fast that before they reacted, Carody's dagger was about to pierce into her chest! Rhode's complexion turned pale as he clutched his sword hilt... ready to strike anytime.

Anne reacted.

She shielded her chest with her left hand and in the blink of an eye, Carody's pitch-black blade pierced through her palm and into her chest.

Got it!

Carody revealed an evil grin. He lifted his head and was hoping to see her twitching in pain and disparity. However, just as he looked up, he was astonished to discover that the young lady was actually smiling. At the same time, he sharply sensed a strong pressure on his dagger.

Not good!

He instantly sensed the presence of danger and quickly released the dagger on his hand. He leaped back before twisting and blending into a shadow again.

Then, the shield spinning above the shadows smashed into her body and blasted her off the arena.

"Anne!" Rhode exclaimed.

Chapter 311: The Final Battle

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

As opposed to feeling nervous, Rhode felt relieved when he witnessed Anne getting flung off the arena. This was because he saw that even though it appeared dangerous, she wasn't in any life threatening danger. After Carody pierced his dagger into her palm, she instantly grabbed it, which was why he failed to pierce her heart. And now, Anne had fallen off the arena, meaning that she lost...

Rhode darted to her side and held her up. Just as he had expected, although the wound on her chest was a ghastly sight, it wasn't deadly. Anne forced out a smile.

"Leader, Anne did it, right? Not even five minutes and Anne left the arena."

"I don't know if I should complement you or not."

Rhode shook his head, pulled out the dagger in her palm, and tossed it aside. Marlene, Lize, and the rest had also arrived frantically. After seeing Anne's smile, the tension in them was immediately alleviated.

However, Rhode wasn't relieved.

"Lize, heal Anne's wounds and remember, you have to remove the poison first before applying Lapis's potions. Wait for two minutes and if anything's not right with Anne, inform me immediately. Understand?"

"Ah, okay!"

Although Lize didn't know why Rhode gave such a command, she subconsciously nodded. Then, Marlene held Anne up and they headed to the back. Rhode, on the other hand, turned to Carody.

Carody revealed himself from the shadows. He quietly stood there without saying a word and fixed his gaze on Rhode. On the surface, although it seemed like Carody wasn't injured, Rhode was sure that Anne's final move had hurt his right hand because his right arm was drooping weakly.

Carody's complexion was pale behind his mask. He didn't expect things to go this way.

Carody wasn't nervous when he faced Anne's tactics because an assassin's battle style was to hide in the shadows before dealing the critical blow. Therefore, those who couldn't detect their positions would use a baiting tactic to lure them out, and once the assassins struck, they would also gamble and strike at the same time.

However, Carody wasn't afraid of this as he was not only confident in his assassination skills, but also in his knowledge of poison. His weapons carried lethal poison, which was why when Anne blocked his attack with her palm, he wasn't worried one bit. To him, Anne was already dead because she couldn't resist the poison on his blade!

But, who knew things would be this surprising for him. He thought that Anne would die instantly, but she was still alive. This deferred his next move and due to this delay, he couldn't dodge Anne's shield that was spinning back to her. Although he had activated his shadow technique on time, his right arm was still crushed by it.

Assassin wasn't a class with high defenses, and at this moment, he felt his right arm tingling in pain, which infuriated him. What surprised him the most was that Anne wasn't dead yet!

That's right, she stood up and walked off effortlessly while smiling!

How is this possible? The poison should have taken effect by now?!

In fact, there weren't any issues with his poison. Rhode was confident because in the game, the most irritable thing about Carody was that he could cast countless debuffs on players before killing them off. So how would Rhode not know his strength?

Fortunately, Rhode was smart. Before arriving at Golden City, he had ordered Lapis to concoct a few immunity potions. Although the potion would only last for five minutes, a master assassin like Carody would become half as effective without his poison's effects during those five minutes. But Rhode didn't think that he would need to use it on Anne.

Carody couldn't figure out why, but he didn't wish to stay in this place any longer. Since he wasn't able to kill off his opponent, this mission was considered a failure... But, he wouldn't fail a second time! Carody turned around and stepped down from the arena.

Loud cheers erupted and filled the arena.

To the audience, the exchange in attacks between Anne and Carody was so fast that they couldn't understand what happened. They saw the young lady scrambling before the man's ferocious attacks and was struck off the arena. But this time, no one dared to mock Anne. It wasn't that they were afraid of causing trouble, but it was because they saw the hope of victory and no longer had the time to taunt losers anymore. Carody's victory had saved the Sky Sword Guild from losing the competition and now, they still had the chance to win!

As for Starlight? It wouldn't be too late to ridicule them after they had totally lost.

... Forget about those country bumpkins for now!

"Mobis! Mobis! Mobis!"

The audience was clear that Mobis, the guild leader, held the strength to lead Sky Sword to victory!

Mobis stepped onto the arena.

He lifted his head and gazed at the opposing team.

Rhode was staring back at him without any expression.

A thought flashed through Mobis's mind.

Am I capable of winning this?

If it was before the competition, Mobis would never have such thoughts. To him, it was a guaranteed victory and there was no possibility of his men being defeated. Apart from Marlene, who would give their team a headache, the others weren't even worth mentioning.

However, reality was always cruel.

Kalman's defeat by Marlene was predictable, but the next unknown young lady who had easily defeated Carter without blinking her eyes was astounding. From then, Mobis realised that this mercenary group wasn't as simple as he thought. They didn't seem weak at all and they performed out of his expectations continuously.

So then, what would this black haired young man, the leader of this mercenary group, do?

Mobis became serious, because no matter what, he was the final line of defense for his guild. No matter how strong this black-haired young man was, he needed to win this and lead the Sky Sword Guild to the next stage. He gazed at Rhode before bowing slightly and withdrawing the sword from his waist.

That was a slick, emerald-green sword. The sword blade shimmered like crystals and the sword hilt was entwined with vines that were filled with life and greenish branches.

"Chrysoprase Sword!"

Many exclaimed in awed as this was the treasure of the Sky Sword Guild! Although it had always been Mobis's sword, they knew that he didn't use this sword for a long time. And now, he was going to use it on this arena?

It seems like Leader Mobis is taking this seriously!

The audience stood up and stared at the arena with anticipation.

They were looking forward... Or perhaps waiting for a victory anxiously.

Good. Chrysoprase Sword; it seems like Mobis is serious.

Rhode nodded as Mobis drew his sword. He placed his right hand before his chest and bowed. Then, he placed his right arm forward.

A glittering magical radiance flickered in his hand. He flipped it to the side and grabbed at it.

Shing!

A pitch-black sword appeared and almost everyone was stunned.

Where did that sword come from?

They stared with their eyes wide. No matter what, when Rhode stepped onto the arena, there weren't any weapons on him. So where did this black sword appear from?

And the magical radiance from before was...

Rhode didn't give them too much time to consider because he had lifted his sword and pointed it at the old man on the opposite end.

The battle had begun.

Chapter 312: Exchanging Blows

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

To the Sky Sword supporters, this originally was a competition that completely lacked suspense. But, after two losses in a row, they weren't as cocky as before. Judging from the current situation, they were glad that they acted reasonable because that man was equally matched with Mobis!

Shing!

The pitch-black sword in Rhode's hand was like a viper that wandered around Mobis. Mobis's blade emanated a green radiance, which formed a barrier to deflect the pitch-black sword. Crisp exchanges of strikes sounded and sparks flew between both men. Rhode took half a step back while Mobis snorted and brandished his Chrysoprase Sword. However, as his sword was about to pierce into Rhode's body, the black viper in Rhode's hands once again shot up and widened its huge mouth, aiming for Mobis' throat.

Clang!

The black and green blades clashed and their holders retreated simultaneously. Everyone stared in astonishment and at this moment, they weren't only impressed that Rhode was able to resist Mobis' attack, but they were also flabbergasted by his beautiful swordplay. In the middle of the arena, only two shadows were seen twisting and flashing.

How troublesome.

Mobis's heart sank. On the other hand, Rhode's expression remained unchanged as though he wasn't too concerned over who his opponent was. Even if it was the guild leader of Sky Sword, Rhode wasn't fearful at all.

( .c om ) This was only the beginning.

Both of them were clear on this. This battle appeared to be progressing fiercely. But, in fact, both sides were only probing each other out and hadn't given their best. From the exchange in blows, Rhode sensed that Mobis was being cautious. It was apparent that he had tightened his guard against the "country bumpkins" after suffering two losses in a row. This might not be good news for Rhode, but it wasn't bad either because he realised that not only was Mobis being cautious, but also hesitant. To Rhode, this was to take advantage of.

It's almost time.

Rhode lowered his head and turned to his Composition Adornment.

Triple-set properties ready.

Mobis raised his sword and tilted his body to the side. His sword and gaze aligned into a straight line, pointing forward.

Then, he dashed.

Dazzling green radiance darted toward Rhode. The blade slashed through the air and released an ear-piercing sound. That was Mobis' famous sword skill: Wind Hissing.

As coarse and wild as a storm. As gentle as a breeze. As ice-cold as a blizzard. The nimble Wind Hissing sword skill was a nightmare for most of his enemies. For the first few seconds, it made use of its aggression to force one breathless. At the next few second, it lowered its speed from a ten-grade gale to a three-grade wind. Such a change in tempo was the most obvious feature of the Wind Hissing sword skill. Once his opponent had fallen into its tempo, it would be much harder to escape from it.

However, it wasn't an issue for Rhode.

Rhode stooped over slightly and slanted his body to the side. Then, he was totally engulfed by the sword skill.

At the same time, Mobis stopped his attack abruptly and turned to the left. Then, the wind erupting from his blade instantly slowed down.

The pitch-black sword emerged in midair.

Rhode appeared beside Mobis. His razor-sharp, odd sword struck out a faint, ear-piercing sound as it secretly aimed for Mobis's heart. But, at this moment, the harmless Chrysoprase Sword transformed into a whirlwind.

( .c om ) The blade air erupted and protected Mobis from Rhode's attack, at the same time repelling the viper-like blade. Not only that, but the whizzing blade air also pushed Rhode off balance. Fortunately, Rhode wasn't gravely injured.

At this moment, Rhode's counterattack finally began.

He landed on the floor and leaped up with his pitch-black sword in hand. Dozens of meteor-like blade lights flashed and collided with Mobis' whirlwind defense.

Bam!

The whirlwind lost its force and dispersed while Rhode re-emerged before Mobis.

But Mobis didn't flinch at all.

He seemed to be waiting for this attack from Rhode and as the latter appeared, Mobis steadily took a few steps back and the Chrysoprase Sword in his hand erupted into a powerful whirlwind. The whirlwind shrouded the entire blade and blasted forward along with his movements.

—!

The ear-deafening whirlwind forced everyone's eyes shut. They instinctively cowered, shut their eyes, and avoided the sound.

The whirlwind blasted a deep crevice on the ground and shattered slabs were dragged into it. The audience headed for safety immediately.

No one imagined that a sword could possess such amazing powers.

Although the audience was horrified, they also felt relieved.

That man wouldn't survive that attack, right?

However, not everyone had such thoughts.

"What?"

Anne widened her eyes and tilted her head in suspicion.

"Leader is so weird."

"Weird?"

Lize turned to her.

"What's weird, Anne?"

"Hmm... How should Anne put it?"

Anne knitted her brows.

"... Leader seems to be lacking something... Oh yea, oh yea! Those spirits that Leader had by his side during battles. This time, Anne didn't see any of them!"

"Hmm? Now that you mentioned it..."

Lize turned to the arena curiously. Indeed, if Anne didn't mention so, she wouldn't have realised it. But now that she thought about it, in this battle, Rhode's performance was a little out of the norm. No matter what kind of battle he got into, he had summoned all sorts of spirits to fight alongside him. But this time, he battled alone... Previously, Lize thought that something wasn't right and now, she finally got a hold of what the problem was.

But... What was going on?

At this moment, the battle had an abrupt change in situation.

Mobis didn't belittle Rhode's strength, but the latter's [Shadow Embrace] had given him a lot of trouble. From the exchange of blows earlier, Mobis understood that this young man was no weaker than him in strength.

This discovery stunned him. If Rhode continued to grow, he would surely reach the Legendary Stage in future. For such a formidable opponent to be in the King's Party, Mobis had unprecedented fears.

He realized that Rhode's understanding of sword skills was equally immense, or even more so.

This was the first time Mobis had an intention to kill.

Indeed, he was the guild leader of the Sky Sword Guild and hoped that his guild could win. But at the same time, he was also a loyal follower of the Reformist Party. Could he stand idly by and see such a powerful enemy join the King's Party?

Definitely not.

Finally, his loyalty toward the Reformist Party prevailed over his hopes for his guild to win. Anyway, the Liberty Wings Guild had Rosen with them, so even if they won, they still wouldn't stand a chance against them. Since that was the case, he might as well do something within his capabilities and remove this threat!

After making this decision, Mobis changed his battle style. His previous whirlwind defense could resist Rhode's Blade of Destruction. But he purposely decreased the might of his whirlwind defense for the sake of his plan. On the surface, it seemed as though Rhode had torn apart his defense but as a matter of fact, Mobis was preparing for his killing blow.

Then when Rhode darted toward Mobis, the latter unleashed all his strength.

"Hu..."

Mobis laid down his sword and panted. To the contrary, the young man should've been dead by that attack now.

Mobis was confident with his judgement because he was sure that, at that moment, he didn't witness any magical radiance emanating from him. It was apparent that the young man didn't anticipate this killer blow, which was why he didn't even prepare his sword for this attack and was engulfed by the whirlwind... Wait a minute.

Mobis was dumbfounded.

He did witness Rhode darting out with his sword, but it seemed... just like that!

At this moment, a shadow flitted by the corners of Mobis' eyes.

Damn!

Mobis defended against the black sword that had flown towards him. He desperately turned around and lifted his sword before witnessing the black sword brush his hair. If it were an inch closer, even Mobis wouldn't dare imagine the results.

This young man is terrifying!

Mobis' heart sank and he pushed forward. Rhode's attack missed and he quickly leapt back to draw a distance away from Mobis.

I can't give this young man anymore space!

Mobis was nervous. He felt like Rhode's swords skills were exceptionally strange. The Dark Brandish was the strongest sword skill of the Dark Elves and could even be considered the most ingenious and strange sword technique. It was so ingenious that even the Elves with speed as their forte couldn't see through it, so how could Mobis possibly do so? Besides, the Dark Brandish wasn't an unfamiliar skill to Rhode. He could even cast it with his eyes closed, so how would there be any issues?

Mobis detected the strange speed of Rhode's sword skill and hurriedly made a decision. He leapt forward with an attempt to restrain Rhode's speed and space. From their previous exchange in blows, Mobis had given Rhode too much space and now was the time for him to make up for his mistake!

But could a mistake be so easily made up?

Mobis dashed forward and restricted Rhode's vicinity while the latter shot a glance at him and brandished his pitch-black sword. Then, Rhode's blade extended its length and aimed for Mobis!

The viper lurking in the darkness finally revealed its poisonous fangs!