Chapter 50

The first wave of attack came like lightning.

Azul, the warrior mercenary that Evals Redart often employed, was incredibly strong.

However, his true ability lay in his speed.

And so…

~WHOOSH!~

In an instant, he closed the distance between himself and his target, before the latter could even notice.

He pulled out a sword from its scabbard, and the blade glowed blue, revealing the Mana that was locked within.

Azul’s sword was enchanted—and that pretty much applied to the rest of his armor.

He had enhanced strength, durability, focus, resistance, and most importantly, speed!

~ZZTZZ!~

His blade crackled with electricity, the energy coursing through his entire armor, creating sparks that danced around him.

Azul held back from using his [Lightning Field] Skill early on, since stunning the enemy wasn’t necessary for this particular task. His role was to distract and lure the enemy in while his partner, Fey, handled the rest.

However, Azul found such a complicated maneuver to be a chore, especially given their formidable opponent.

“Haaa!”

With a powerful downward slash, his blade unleashed shockwaves that rippled outward, sending literal shockwaves through the air.

It took a few seconds for the dust to die down, and for Azul to realize what just went down.

‘W-what?!’

He didn’t hit his target?!

“[Transmute].” He suddenly heard behind him.

~VWUUUUSHH!~

A wave of energy went through his armor, causing the entire thing to break apart that very instant.

“A-ahhh!”

Azul cried out as his protective armor fell away, leaving him naked save for his underwear. Stripped of his defenses, he felt powerless and vulnerable.

‘H-how fast… is he…?!’ Azul's mind raced, but he had little time to think. He could feel the enemy’s hand drawing closer to his bare back.

His bulging eyes turned bloodshot in shock and fear.

Azul may have been impulsive, but he wasn’t foolish.

Years of experience with his armor had taught him the consequences of that kind of power coursing through flesh.

Due to many years of training and practice, Azul had tempered his body to its limits.

His muscles were rock-solid, and he took pride in his immense durability—as well as his superior speed—that made him invincible as a warrior.

But…

‘If he could so easily get rid of that rough armor, what chance does my body stand?’

The fear of death gripped Azul, causing the usually proud man to cry out a name he never thought he would utter.

“F-FEYYYY!!”

Like a baby, he cried out the name of his ally.

And then, a bolt of electricity surged forth from her location—almost as if she was waiting for him to scream her name.

~BZZZTTTTZZZ!~

Compared to Azul’s [Lightning Field], the burst of lightning this time was unreal.

It charged in a straight, horizontal line, with its power ripping through the very air around them.

Everything vibrated as it lunged at the man who stood behind Azul.

However…

“Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!”

Azul felt a sharp bolt of lightning course through him, sending him to a whole new realm of pain.

The overwhelming current sent Azul into a frenzy of pain, his entire body tingling and convulsing.

His blood felt like it was boiling, and his bones seemed to vibrate inside him. His eyeballs danced in their sockets as his lips wouldn’t stop trembling.

And then, after a few seconds of this agony, Azul collapsed to the ground.

“Urghh…”

Fortunately, since the Lightning Spell was meant to make the target unconscious, Azul wasn’t dead.

His world merely faded to black as frustration coursed through him.

Fey was younger than him in both age and experience in the organization, yet her talent and incredible skill made her stand on the same level as him.

Many even claimed that she was stronger than Azul, due to her consistent success in finishing off all their adversaries.

‘She’s not! It’s because I take the vanguard and deal the first couple of strikes to the enemy so that she can finish them off!’

Their strategy was effective, but Azul had grown tired of playing second fiddle.

Now, he was paying the price for his pride.

‘Boss… I’m so sorry…’

Right until he lost consciousness, he didn’t know where his opponent was or what he would do next.

He simply closed his eyes and surrendered himself to the darkness.

*******

Fey’s eyes were wide open in shock as her Spell missed its mark.

No, that wasn’t it.

Her Spell had gone straight for the target, but it ended up passing through it, almost as if he was an afterimage.

‘What in the world is happening?!’ Her mind raced with confusion as she instinctively took a step back.

She had always had a weak constitution, so frontline battle was never her thing.

That was why, despite not liking the man, she had to rely on Azul to deal the first strike and create an opening, which then allowed her to overwhelm enemies with her magic at a safe distance.

‘Why… why didn’t that idiot follow the plan?!’

If only he had stuck to the plan, they wouldn’t be in this dangerous situation. It was all his fault, and she couldn’t help but resent him at that moment.

Fey wasted no time in casting another spell, opting for something quick yet protective.

Her expertise in Wind and Lightning Magic, combined with her Quick-Casting Skill, made her a formidable Mage.

She wasn’t talented or anything. She just dedicated herself to the craft of Magic.

… All of herself.

And the reward for that was her immense skill and power.

“Wind Barrier!” Chanting rapidly, Fey was able to quickly generate a defensive dome around her while preparing to launch a follow-up attack.

However—

~WHOOSH!~

Fey suddenly felt herself being pulled forward.

‘E-eh…?’

She had no idea why. Only a blank space existed in front of her, yet she could feel an irresistible attraction to it.

‘N-no! No stop!’

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as her body defied her, breaking free from the protective barrier and thrust out into the open by a force she could not understand.

‘No!’

Fey began moving her lips, chanting another Spell. Right as she got in the middle of it, though…

“Keuk!”

A sharp gasp escaped her lips as a powerful grip seized her throat, cutting off her incantation.

Helpless and struggling for breath, Fey was slammed to the ground.

‘No… no stop!’

~BOOOOM!~

Fey’s fragile body crashed to the ground, sending sensations of shock and pain coursing through her.

“Gurgh!”

She passed out almost instantly, her blurry vision seeing a silhouette that stood above her.

It was the masked man!

‘No… no please don’t kill me…!’ Her mind screamed in terror, but her body was unresponsive.

Unable to move or defend herself, Fey could only plead silently as she sank into an abyss.

Not knowing what would come next.

******

‘This guy…’

Evals Redart observed the entire battle unfold from his seat, from start to finish.

He studied the masked man’s tactics, observing how he seemed to disappear and reappear strategically, exploiting his enemies’ blind spots.

A broad smile stretched across Evals’ face.

‘I’ve figured out your trick.’ Evals slowly rose to his feet as he stared at the now-visible figure before him.

‘He’s using an Illusionary Skill.’

Unfortunately for the masked fellow, such tricks weren’t going to work on someone like Evals.

‘I see everything!’

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[A/N]

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