Chapter 9: The Black Vatican Strikes

«What is that smell? It's so foul!»

While on his way to the garden district, Qin Chen passed through a deserted area and caught a whiff of something that smelled like it had been festering in a sewer for years. The stench nearly made him vomit the roasted meat he had just eaten.

«Gurgle, gurgle!!»

Suddenly, he heard an unusual sound. The surroundings were eerily quiet, so quiet that only this strange noise could be heard.

«This isn't good!»

All of a sudden, he sensed the rapid change in the air currents around him. From the shadow on his left, a black figure pounced at him. It wasn't until the figure emerged from the shadow and got closer that he realized it was a simian creature with sharp claws, triangular teeth, blood-red eyes, and a body emitting a nauseating stench. The creature lunged at Qin Chen.

«Black beast demon!»

From the first glance, Qin Chen knew what this monster was. He never expected the Black Vatican to target him. Why? He had never had any contact with them before. Why were they coming after him with such lethal intent?

Just as the beast's claws were about to reach his head, he took a quick step back and tilted his head to avoid the attack. He narrowly dodged the beast's claws.

These past five months of physical training had enhanced his reflexes enough to barely dodge an attack from a black beast demon servant.

«Clap, clap, clap!!!»

«Impressive. To think that you, who awakened the space element first, could dodge my little darling's sneak attack. Truly remarkable.»

From the shadow where the black beast demon had appeared, a man in a gray robe, fully concealed, emerged. Another black beast demon identical to the one that attacked Qin Chen followed him, both creatures intently staring at Qin Chen as if ready to strike at any moment.

«The Black Vatican? I'm just a newly awakened student. I shouldn't have any grudges with the Black Vatican, right? Do you really need to go to such lengths to kill me?»

Qin Chen asked curiously while keeping a wary eye on the two black beast demons. He couldn't believe they were targeting him just because he was too handsome and they were jealous.

«Hahaha, you indeed have no grudge with our Black Vatican. You can only blame yourself for being too talented. A mage like you, who awakened the space element first, is better off dead.»

«Kill him.»

The gray-robed man pointed at Qin Chen, his tone filled with jealousy.

«Envy is the original sin!»

Qin Chen sighed inwardly. He never thought that merely awakening the space element first would make him a target of the Black Vatican. Such a trivial matter, and they still wouldn't let him go!

Thinking this, he quickly evaded an attack from the nearest black beast demon, summoned the wand sword from his spiritual world, and thrust it forward.

«Slash!!!»

Perhaps the black beast demon never expected Qin Chen to have such a skill, so his sword pierced through the beast's throat, and black, foul-smelling blood flowed out, causing it to collapse to the ground.

«Damned creature, how dare you harm my precious! Kill him! Kill him!»

Seeing one of his black beast demons killed, the gray-robed man furiously commanded the remaining one to attack Qin Chen.

«Kill!»

Maybe the death of its companion had agitated the remaining black beast demon, making it much faster. So fast that Qin Chen couldn't react in time to dodge the attack. Despite this, he didn't panic. The more one panics, the quicker they die. He firmly gripped his wand sword and slashed at the charging beast!

«Rip!!!!»

The black beast demon instinctively tried to grab the wand sword with its claws, but as soon as its claws touched the sword, they were sliced off as if they were tofu. The wand sword continued its downward path, cleaving the beast in two from top to bottom!

«How, how is this possible? My two precious ones, both dead. Run!»

Seeing his last black beast demon die, the gray-robed man was filled with disbelief. However, after a moment of shock, he realized the gravity of the situation and immediately fled.

«Trying to run? Did you ask my permission?»

«Mental Control — Void Claw!»

Qin Chen glanced at the fleeing gray-robed man, smirked, and then aligned seven silver stars beneath his feet in a sequence, forming a seven-star linkage that emitted a dazzling silver light. He reached out towards the gray-robed man's direction, and a silver void claw appeared behind him, grabbing and slamming him in front of Qin Chen.

«You better let me go. If the Black Priest finds out I died, he will avenge me!»

«The Black Priest isn't like me, a mere novice with no magic skills. He's a mid-level mage, far beyond your capabilities.»

The captured gray-robed man threatened Qin Chen with a hard tone, refusing to yield.

«Oh? Really? You know the Black Priest? Who is he?»

Qin Chen asked curiously. If it was truly the Black Priest coming to kill him, he might really be in danger.

«Hmph, there's no way I'd betray the Black Priest. You'll never know.»

The gray-robed man shut his mouth, refusing to divulge any information about the Black Priest.

«Then you can die. Keeping you alive is pointless.»

With those words, Qin Chen lost interest in him. A mere gray-robed acolyte was the lowest cannon fodder in the Black Vatican, completely useless.

«Not bad, not bad at all. So young yet so bold and capable. No wonder I was sent to protect him.»

Not far from Qin Chen, in the shadows, a middle-aged man watched with interest as Qin Chen killed the gray-robed acolyte.

He was a high-level shadow mage, sent by Qin Shuang specifically to protect Qin Chen.

After slashing the gray-robed acolyte's throat, Qin Chen immediately pulled out his phone to call his dad.

«Hey, son, isn't today your first day of school? What's up? Did you get into trouble and need your old man to bail you out?»

«Uh, yeah, I did get into a bit of trouble. I was targeted by the Black Vatican. The gray-robed acolyte tried to kill me, but I killed him instead. Dad, I think you need to help me clean up this mess. I don't want to be constantly on guard against the Black Vatican.»

«What? The Black Vatican is so brazen? Where are you now? I'll send someone to get you right away.»

«Behind Building 150, 32nd Street, Garden District.»

«Alright, hold on. Someone will be there in ten minutes.»

«Got it.»

(End of the chapter)