42 - Warning

A few minutes ago, on the Sea of Mists (Misty Sea).

A burly man tightly gripped a longsword in his hand, with a fierce intent to strike Laut, but as the blade descended, it suddenly stopped in its tracks. His once menacing expression contorted into one filled with doubt, and he cautiously inquired, "Mr. Laut, do you really want me to strike?"

"Quit the nonsense and strike." Lame Laut gritted his teeth and extended his right hand, revealing a prominent flame mark on the back.

As he gave the order, Laut's heart sank, but he had no other choice.

From the very beginning, he had little confidence in the audacious and outlandish rescue mission by a certain wizard. So, when chaos erupted in the harbour town and all the plans they had made were foiled, Laut quickly realized that the wizards who remained in the town would soon meet their demise.

That's why, amidst the chaos in the harbour town, Laut took decisive action, gathering a group of men and making his escape.

Benefitting from the fact that the Church had devoted most of its efforts to dealing with Lynn and the others, they didn't have much trouble seizing control of this ship and loading it with valuables before setting sail from the harbour town.

The only concern that now troubled Laut was the flame mark on his hand. If that wizard realized that he had fled during a time of crisis, he might decide to drag Laut to hell with him.

For someone who knew little about magic, his only option was to sever his hand.

The burly man with contorted muscles hesitated to strike with the sword, and Laut's emotions fluctuated along with the man's hesitation. Finally, Laut snatched the sword in irritation. It seemed more efficient to do it himself.

"Boss, it's a signal, a signal."

At the ship's bow, a sailor suddenly shouted, and Laut instinctively looked in that direction. A fireball was rising from the harbour's pier, exploding in the night sky.

Laut was somewhat surprised; he had assumed that the cunning and ruthless wizard was as good as dead. He hadn't expected the wizard to return to the harbour pier.

Thinking about it, he turned to the first mate, who held alchemical goggles.

"I saw many Elite Guards; they've all been deployed, and Archbishop Anluke is there too. It seems the wizard lords are surrounded..." The first mate swallowed hard and continued, "It seems they've been hunted all the way here."

Laut suddenly understood. They had been lured to the predetermined location. After a brief thought, he stated straightforwardly, "Fire a round of rockets according to the plan, and then we'll immediately set sail across the sea."

Since the enemy had successfully led Archbishop Anluke and others to the agreed-upon location, Laut had no reason to be heartless. Firing a round of rockets from a distance wasn't much trouble, but offering assistance onshore was out of the question.

Laut couldn't believe that in this dire situation, the enemy could make a significant impact. There was no way they would instantly become great wizards, annihilating thousands of elite guards with their magic.

This was beyond the realm of the absurd.

Cut or not cut...

How much should he cut...

This was a question worth pondering.

Just as Lame Laut was about to make up his mind to act, the entire ship suddenly lurched violently. A deafening roar echoed in his ears, followed by an enormous, earth-shaking impact that sent him sprawling to the ground. His body rolled to the base of the mast, and his head thudded against a crossbeam.

Laut's head was still ringing, and his clothes were drenched by the surging waves. After a while, he managed to sit up, clutching his aching waist and abdomen. He looked up and asked the first mate beside him, "What's happening? Have we run into a storm?"

However, the first mate, with a vacant look, didn't respond. He stared in the direction of the harbour pier and muttered to himself, "It's over, all over..."

"What's over?" Laut frowned, displeased.

Could it be that the battle at the pier had already determined its outcome, and the wizard lords were all finished?

Laut turned to look, and when he saw the scene before him clearly, he couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

He realized it wasn't the wizards who were finished; it was the entire harbour town.

A massive cloud of dust was rising from above the city, and the previously dim night sky had turned into a brilliant fiery red as if something had torn through the darkness.

The once bustling and beautiful harbour had been reduced to rubble, with billowing smoke rising and a raging heatwave sweeping upward, turning the sky red. A dense rain of fire was falling from the massive dust cloud, creating a scene reminiscent of hell.

Laut swallowed hard, and his legs trembled slightly. Even though he couldn't see clearly what was happening at the pier from this distance, he understood that under such overwhelming power, the so-called Elite Guards and Church priests were insignificant.

Could it be that he had seriously underestimated the wizard, and they were, in fact, a deeply hidden great wizard?

The magic that the enemy referred to as "fireworks" was truly terrifying. Laut wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The downfall of a harbour city was undoubtedly the most "spectacular" sight he had ever witnessed.

"Mr. Laut, should we turn back now?" a sailor stammered, asking.

But before Laut could respond, a dazzling death ray shot from the pier, crashing into the sea surface a hundred meters away, sending up a spray of waves several meters high. The ship with its billowing sails rocked violently once more. Laut immediately jumped up, shouting anxiously, "Turn back. Turn this ship around immediately."

The sailors on board hurriedly adjusted the sails and changed course, not daring to waste a single moment. In their eyes, this was undoubtedly a stark warning from the wizard lord. If they didn't turn back now, the next spell might directly hit their ship.

Laut hastily changed into a more presentable outfit, and despite his still trembling legs, he put on his most welcoming smile, ready to greet the ruthless wizard lord. The idea of cutting off his hand was now far from his mind.

On the side, the burly man tugged on the ship's ropes, deeply grateful for his earlier judgment. He was relieved he hadn't gone through with cutting Laut's hand; otherwise, he might be the one who's now been killed.