Blood Mage

**Casino.**

Chifeng stood anxiously at the door, waiting for about ten minutes, but the orc had not returned. A wave of relief washed over him, and he waved to the people upstairs.

Suddenly, the four burly men on the fifth floor lowered the Barrett rifles they had been holding. They exchanged knowing glances, smug smiles spreading across their faces, and then made their way back to their private rooms.

Bai Yi on the second floor looked down with a flash of doubt in his eyes. He sighed, turned, and walked upstairs. Time was running out—he would have to wait and see.

**Boom!**

A loud explosion echoed at the door, startling the gamblers who were still unaware of the chaos unfolding. Chifeng, who had been about to retreat, froze in place.

Before he could even react, a bucket of cold holy water was suddenly poured over him. It hit him so fast he couldn't dodge. The water soaked into his robes with chilling force.

**"Ah!"**

A violent scream ripped through his throat, as if fire met ice. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. The air around him was filled with the scent of burning flesh as mist rose from his body.

"**Sure enough, I was wondering who would dare disobey the Apocalypse Legion. It's the scum of the Scarlet Sect.**" Magath, sword in hand, spoke with a sneer.

Behind him, a large group of soldiers formed neat rows, and without hesitation, they began pouring holy water over the crowd. In moments, the entire first floor of the casino was drenched.

Several gamblers fell to the floor, writhing and screaming in pain.

The rest scrambled back, terror flashing across their faces.

For as long as history had been recorded, gambling and debauchery had always been intertwined. The terror on the first floor quickly silenced the sounds of murmurs and laughter from the third and fourth floors. The wailing grew louder, more distinct.

Magath's gaze turned cold. He stepped forward, and with a swift motion, swung his sword.

The sharp clash of steel drowned out the screams as his blade cleaved through the air, cutting down Chifeng, who had been flung backward into several tables.

Magath's frown deepened, but before he could react, Chifeng's bloated body suddenly twitched. A pair of bloody hands erupted from the fat face.

With a blood-curdling scream, a small mage appeared, his body surrounded by a shattered energy shield that glowed ominously.

**"I didn't expect you to arrive so soon."**

The blood mage—short and distinctly Dwarven—grinned, raising the severed head of Chifeng. A wave of blood magic exploded from him, sending a surge of energy throughout the room.

Blood began pouring from the eyes, ears, mouths, and noses of the gamblers, surging toward Chifeng's body like a tidal wave. The blood mage's power grew with every drop, feeding into his destructive magic.

Magath recognized the threat immediately. There was no time to waste. These soldiers, the Wucheng Army, were only here to clear the civilians—no heavy weapons, not even the coveted Barretts that only the elite could handle. For now, he was the only one who could take this fight head-on.

Magath crouched, gripping his sword tightly with both hands. He stamped the ground with force and shot forward like a missile.

His speed was incredible, but as he reached Chifeng, his senses screamed in warning. Without pausing to strike, he swerved past the bloated body and cut down two of the gamblers still writhing on the ground.

**Clang! Boom!**

The sounds of gunfire rang out, deafening. Two bullets crashed into the stone floor, creating large craters right where Magath had just been.

Magath's eyes narrowed as he looked up to the fifth floor. Four figures stood there, their energy fluctuating at the bronze level. Two of them held red-hot Barrett rifles, while the other two aimed their weapons directly at him.

**"Damn it, White Blight."**

Magath cursed under his breath as he focused on the fallen Barrett rifle lying nearby. If he could just get his hands on it, he would have another weapon at his disposal.

His gaze locked on the muzzles of the guns, knowing that delaying wasn't an option. The blood mage was still growing in power, and he could not afford to wait.

**"Uh."**

A low groan echoed through the room as more gamblers collapsed one by one. Their bodies turned into mummies, just like the more than thirty corpses from Shengwu Street.

As this eerie sound filled the air, the floor beneath Magath cracked. Reacting instantly, he jumped to avoid being trapped, but before he could make it to the energy gun, the next bullet whizzed by, narrowly missing him.

**Boom!**

The bullet slammed into the ground near his back, but Magath's movements were swift. He reached for the gun, but before he could grasp it, an even stronger sense of danger overwhelmed him.

He quickly shifted in mid-air, and the second bullet passed in front of him, striking the energy gun directly.

**Boom! Boom!**

The first explosion came as the bullet hit, followed by a second violent burst as the energy gun's alchemical pattern detonated. Blue light surged from the weapon, sending a shockwave that knocked Magath off his feet.

**Bang!**

Magath crashed into a gambling table but managed to regain his balance. He threw his hands upward, sending his sword flying. It impaled the blood mage in the chest.

With the energy gun no longer a threat, Magath had no competition. He moved with lethal precision, striking down anyone in his path.

The blood mage's magic stopped abruptly as the sword found its mark. Staring at Magath, he couldn't comprehend the speed or fluidity of the strike.

On the fifth floor, the four thugs looked down in disbelief. The energy gun was supposed to hit anything it was aimed at, yet not one shot had connected with the swordsman.

Confusion spread among them. Was it the swordsman's skill that caused the bullets to miss?

Magath had no time for explanations. He landed lightly on the ground, his body coiled with power. He surged toward the blood mage without hesitation.

In an instant, Chifeng's eyes transformed from confusion to determination. The blood in the entire lobby—his own blood—began to surge violently. A massive blood clot formed in his hands.

Magath closed in, his sword ready to strike.

Just as he lifted it, Chifeng yelled one word, his voice thick with desperation: **"God!"**

**Clang~Bang!**

The explosive energy of the blood magic and Magath's sword collided in a violent burst. Magath felt a shift in the air and immediately leapt back, but his hands were shaking. What had just happened?

He looked at his palms, still in disbelief. Everything seemed... fine.

**Tap, tap, tap.**

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the door. Magath stood motionless, sword in hand, staring blankly as a lion wreathed in demonic flames approached. Behind it, hundreds of mummified bodies lay scattered across the floor.

The scene was one of complete devastation.