Chapter 213: Mr. Mirror, save me! |
Su'en was completely engrossed in the study of alchemical knowledge.
He mingled with the refugees and, before he knew it, found himself back in Old Lingdun.
The complete annihilation of Princess Theresa's wilderness hunting party had caused a stir, and with the Duke's residence demanding accountability, many in the power structures of Old Lingdun, especially the intelligence-gathering Umbrella Organization, would face death. With such a major incident and no intelligence in their hands, they were already condemned.
Sabina, the head of the intelligence officers in the outer city, was barely involved in this mission and thus not deeply implicated.
However, she needed to make preparations to distance herself from the incident as much as possible, so she took the lead and returned to the city.
Su'en didn't need to worry about his maid, Sabina; her methods were far more formidable than her appearance suggested.
***
From a distance, the sight of Old Lingdun's towering city walls brought relief to everyone.
The city was a dazzling array of lights, illuminating the pitch-black underworld.
The ecstatic joy of surviving disaster was evident on everyone's faces.
"Phew... finally back alive."
"Yeah, it's like we've snatched our lives back from the jaws of death. I'm never coming back to this cursed dungeon, even if it kills me..."
"Hahaha... we've made enough from this wilderness hunt, we don't have to leave the city for the rest of our lives. Jack, deputy leader, let's take our brothers to the pleasure houses on Norton Street in the south city and soak it up for a month!"
The outer city wilderness hunters were accustomed to their trade; survival meant a big profit.
Now that they had made money, they excitedly hurried towards the city.
But there was both joy and sorrow.
The lords and ladies of the inner city's high society were downcast.
They didn't lack money and had no need to risk their lives hunting in the wilderness; they would never have ventured into the dangerous dungeons if not for the Duke's orders.
They were now close to the city, with wide roads ahead.
Various luxurious steam carriages waited by the roadside, belonging to the welcoming parties of the major families from the inner city.
It was somewhat reminiscent of the airport pick-up scenes from Su'en's previous life.
Servants and butlers held up their family's signs, and even the well-dressed lords and ladies were present in person, each eagerly awaiting the return of their own.
Those who saw their people rejoiced, while those who did not grew increasingly desperate.
Many had gone to hunt in the underground wilderness, but it was estimated that less than twenty percent had returned.
"Has anyone seen our Firefox Commerce's people?"
"Sir, have you seen the Turner family's party?"
"Damn it! Captain Bob, why are only a few of you back, where is the miss? Damn it, what's the use of you living if the miss hasn't returned? Take them to the gallows!"
"Oh, Mr. Sandru, have you seen my little Orlando?"
"Sorry, Mrs. Leonard. Before the fog tide erupted, I heard that Master Orlando's team was still in the ruins, probably didn't make it in time..."
"Doctor! Doctor! Mrs. Leonard has fainted!"
Bad news kept coming, and the scene was filled with wails.
***
Dressed as a wilderness hunter, Su'en blended into the crowd, undisturbed, and made his way towards Old Lingdun.
For some reason, he felt a strange sensation today, as if someone was thinking of him from the shadows.
Having read so many alchemical texts and learned much about mysticism, Su'en knew this was not a good sign.
After practicing secret methods to strengthen his spirit, his mind had become more steadfast, meaning that inexplicable sensations, hallucinations, and misperceptions should diminish.
Moreover, he would possess a "passive perception" ability, usually alerting him to mystical spells.
If such feelings arose, it meant something bad was indeed happening.
For instance, being the target of divination or a curse!
And this feeling became more frequent the closer he got to Old Lingdun.
Su'en frowned, muttering to himself, "Strange... Theresa's team was annihilated by the Fallen Angel, so divination shouldn't fall on me. The Oliver and Clark families were wiped out, so I have no enemies left. With Sabina handling the Umbrella Organization, even if there were issues, she would have informed me in advance... Who in Old Lingdun could possibly be thinking of me?"
He quickly ran through potential enemies in his mind.
After eliminating the unlikely, a sudden thought struck him: "Could it be trouble related to the original host's identity?"
Su'en hadn't forgotten that since his transmigration, he had been constantly wanted.
The enemies of the original host not only exiled him to this Black Tower but also sought to eradicate him completely.
Upon further thought, if it was divination, he would have sensed it, which meant the other party's spiritual power wasn't much higher than his own.
Probably around the fourth tier?
If it really was a fourth-tier professional diviner, it could only be someone from the surface.
After all, if the original host's family was indeed the dominant "Rega Earth Family" from the fragmented memories Su'en had pieced together, the problem seemed quite serious.
"Or... could it just be a misperception?"
Su'en couldn't be sure whether the feeling was real or just his imagination, but he couldn't let it stop him from entering the city.
After all, this was Old Lingdun.
Even if trouble arose, he was no longer alone; the people from the "Mirror Organization" were all in the city.
If a fourth or fifth-tier enemy came, it wouldn't be a threat but rather a delivery of materials.
Despite this, Su'en remained cautious, constantly extending his perception to guard against being targeted.
***
As Su'en blended into the crowd and approached the walls of Old Lingdun, suddenly, the diviner named Kad on the city wall noticed a flash of light in his crystal ball, revealing an image.
He hurriedly spoke to the pale-faced youth lounging nearby, "Master Ewen, the target has appeared!"
Hearing this, Ewen jolted, leaping to his feet and asking urgently, "Where?"
Kad pointed in a direction, speaking rapidly, "Eleven o'clock, the man in brown leather armor wearing a bulging gas mask!"
Ewen also spotted the target, his eyes filled with surprise, having waited for days. He commanded, "Chase him! Captain Milo, he must not escape again!"
"Yes, young master."
A response came.
At that moment, ripples spread through the air as if something had vanished from beside them.
Just as they noticed, the diviner Kad let out a soft exclamation, "Ah... such strong perception! It must be an ability related to hostile perception. That eight-armed spider spear, that's the 'SS wanted criminal Su'en'."
Finally, the person was found, and the task arranged by the family was about to be completed. Ewen relaxed slightly.
He watched the fleeing figure and chuckled, "Hehe, it seems my cousin has been doing quite well underground. Having his memory erased, he still managed to cause such a stir."
After a pause, he snorted disdainfully through his nose, "But what if he's been discovered? Since Captain Milo has him in his sights, at this distance, there's no way he can escape."
"Hmm."
Kad nodded in agreement.
A fifth-tier professional assassin taking action to hunt down a second-tier target was undoubtedly a sure kill.
Even if the target had that scythe, the 【Night's Black Scythe of Supnos】, death was certain!
***
Although Su'en was unaware that he had long been awaited, the few hostile gazes that fell on him from the city wall did not escape his perception.
Being able to pinpoint him in the crowd without a second thought, Su'en knew there was trouble.
It seemed his previous speculation was about to come true; those seeking the original host's trouble had arrived!
He decisively unleashed his eight-armed spider spear and fled into the caverns outside the crowd.
Despite the enemy being two to three kilometers away, Su'en knew he couldn't take this lightly.
As he ran, he sent out a distress signal through his communication ring.
Because Su'en had already realized the enemy was very strong!
Even with strong stealth capabilities and high-speed movement, one would inevitably leave some traces.
His 【All-Seeing Eye】 was particularly sensitive to high-speed targets, naturally capturing the ripples spreading in the air.
Clearly, a stealthy pursuer was on his tail!
"This speed, could it be... a fifth-tier assassin?"
Su'en caught a glimpse of the exaggerated speed and knew he couldn't escape.
He didn't intend to flee.
Without understanding why the original host was being hunted, even if he made it to the surface, troubles would continue to arise.
Su'en knew that Mr. Mirror should be in the city, but it would take some time for him to arrive.
He needed to hold on and not be killed on the spot.
A second-tier facing a fifth-tier had no chance of victory.
Su'en wasn't so arrogant as to think he could face such a high-level expert head-on. He clasped his hands together and chanted, "Flesh Alchemy: Hormonal Frenzy!"
As the spell activated, hormones surged in his body, muscles stimulated and swelling with explosive power, his speed increasing dramatically.
At the same time, another spell completed, and his skin suddenly shone with a dark golden metallic luster, the gold elements thickening.
This state was clearly his strongest defensive spell, 【Vajra】!
Having done all this, Su'en didn't feel any relief; instead, the sense of impending doom made the hairs on his back stand on end.
It was as if the scythe of death was already touching his neck, half his life hanging by a thread...
Su'en's feet tapped the air, creating continuous "pop" sounds, but even so, compared to a professional assassin specialized in agility and strength, he was still far behind.
Before long, Su'en darted into an uninhabited cavern.
The cavern had a complex network of passages, twisting and turning. With the eight-armed spider spear and spatial teleportation, he could almost ignore obstacles, and if not for shaking off the enemy, at least he could catch his breath.
But Su'en found that the enemy was getting closer and closer.
Not only was the eight-armed spider spear adept at obstacle displacement, but professional assassins were also skilled at it.
Climbing walls, burrowing holes, descending pits, swamp traps... none of these could hinder the pursuit of the fifth-tier assassin behind him.
If it were a third-tier enemy, or even a fourth-tier not specialized in speed, Su'en might have already escaped.
But facing this opponent, there was no chance of escape.
"Canine talents? Scent tracking?"
Su'en caught a glimpse of those faint green eyes; the speed was so fast, and he was still being pursued. Realizing the assassin must have a special tracking talent, no matter how he circled, the assassin followed the same path, confirming the scent tracking ability.
However, discovering this was meaningless.
The pressing chase left no room for Su'en to devise any countermeasures.
The absolute difference in tier couldn't be compensated for by strategy.
Seeing that escape was impossible, Su'en chose a relatively spacious cavern and suddenly stopped.
He clasped his hands together, and a hexagram formation lit up in the sky, a massive cross quickly taking shape. Countless silver threads poured down, and with a pull of a scroll, nearly a hundred puppets were already guarding his side.
***
The assassin, seeing Su'en stop, also halted a hundred meters away.
He squinted, carefully surveying the environment.
An assassin's vigilance was stronger than most other professionals, and intuition told him to be cautious.
The previous divinations by Master Kad had yielded no results, indicating that the assassination would not be so simple.
Moreover, during the chase, he had noticed that this "Mr. Fick" displayed abilities not typical of a second-tier professional.
It couldn't be said to be strong...
In fact, it could be described as bizarrely strong!
Even on the surface, he had killed countless professionals, but he had never seen a second-tier with such absurd methods.
Was this the same person from the intelligence reports, merely a puppeteer relying on forbidden items to commit violence?
Which damn second-tier puppeteer could outrun a third-tier professional assassin!
He actually mastered the close-combat displacement secret 【Step on Air】, can you believe it?
And the bizarre situation of a hundred puppets arrayed before him, if it wasn't a bluff, would make one mistakenly think they were facing a high-tier grand puppet master!
Most importantly, that composure in the face of danger...
A second-tier facing a fifth-tier, the pressure of tier alone would make most professionals tremble, yet this man not only showed no fear in his eyes but also an unsettling calm.
Milo suspected that this man had not had his memory erased at all!
He sized up the web of silver threads and searched for any invisible targets, probing, "Hehe... Mr. Fick, not running anymore?"
At this distance, there was no rush to act.
Killing was just a thought away.
Hearing this address, Su'en knew the other party was indeed after the original host. He kept his expression unchanged and deliberately asked, "Who are you, and why are you after me?"
After all, he didn't know how long it would take for Mr. Mirror to arrive, so he might as well stall for time.
But how astonishing was an assassin's intuition?
Just this brief exchange made Milo vaguely realize: he was buying time, waiting for reinforcements!
Thinking of the previous divination results, he felt something was amiss.
His gaze shifted subtly, and he continued, "I didn't expect you to be so strong. Young Master Ewen really underestimated you. If it weren't for me personally coming, others really wouldn't be able to catch you..."
Assassins were professionals who would do anything to achieve their goals, cunning and never underestimating their opponents.
Although he was facing a second-tier professional, he didn't let his guard down.
Even as he spoke, his figure had already dissipated before their eyes.
In the blink of an eye, he covered dozens of meters, a speed that left no time for reaction!
Faster than Severus Gerald in his 'Black Joker' state!
***
Su'en's eyes caught the sign of his movement, and the black-glowing dagger was already before him, exclaiming in his heart, "Speed burst alchemy implant!"
Although he had seen fifth-tier professionals take action before, it was always from the sidelines.
This time, he finally experienced the overwhelming pressure of a fifth-tier powerhouse.
The pressure of being three whole tiers apart made him feel a sense of futility, as if any effort was in vain.
At this moment, he felt the clarity of his soul as death approached.
Su'en's All-Seeing Eye saw the enemy's advance, but his body couldn't keep up.
He wanted to dodge, to use the puppets as a shield, but it was too late.
Milo appeared in front of Su'en like teleportation, coldly raising his dagger.
With a "swish," the blade slid past, easily severing the neck of "Su'en" amidst the puppets, a head rolling to the ground.
However, there was no blood.
Upon closer inspection, it was a wooden head.
In fact, Milo had noticed the texture was off as soon as he struck.
He narrowed his eyes, "Puppet trickery? You were prepared all along..."
Milo sneered inwardly.
Although he had dodged the blade, the outcome wouldn't change!
Almost simultaneously with the puppet being struck, a few meters away, a "trick doll" suddenly reached into the void and yanked, "Silk Control Secret Art: Cocoon!"
Su'en didn't expect his attack to harm the opponent; his goal was to control him first.
With a tug, countless transparent threads suddenly converged and appeared, crisscrossing and weaving into a series of nets, layer upon layer, rapidly forming a "cocoon" that enveloped the assassin!
Su'en had anticipated the enemy's sneak attack and used a puppet trick to escape, giving him a moment to act.
As the cocoon formed, a nearby invisible zombie swung down the black scythe, aiming to cut the "cocoon" in half with a wide swing.
However, even with the 【Watkins' Pocket Watch】 doubling his speed, the moment the spatial rift appeared, the black dagger inside the cocoon slashed through the layers, and the shadow flashed out.
Su'en's silver hair was extremely tough, but the sharpness of the fifth-tier law condensed on the dagger cut through the tightly woven net like slicing through mud, failing to control the enemy at all.
The assassin broke free and reappeared dozens of meters away.
This time, he had pinpointed Su'en's true location!
Seeing the black scythe miss the assassin, Su'en changed tactics, and a hundred 【Nightmare Dolls】 simultaneously vibrated their jaws, emitting a "gaga gaga" eerie laughter.
The creepy laughter echoed in the cavern, inescapable.
Some of these trick dolls were inscribed with third-tier runes, significantly increasing the power of the visual and auditory illusions.
A hundred trick dolls acting at once, stacking mental illusions, might not control a high-tier professional, but affecting them for a moment was possible.
Su'en chose this cavern with good acoustics for this very moment.
Unexpectedly, this well-calculated move had no effect on the enemy at all!
Upon closer inspection, Milo's pupils emitted a green glow, and his ears had closed up.
Such a level of visual and auditory illusions had no effect on him.
Moreover, even with his hearing and part of his vision blocked, his movements remained agile.
As Su'en manipulated the trick dolls to attack, the dagger once again appeared at his heart.
Milo was confident in this strike!
However, the blade bizarrely missed again.
"Huh..." Milo was surprised, watching the figure he had hit suddenly dissipate.
It wasn't speed; it was spatial displacement!
"He's even proficient in spatial spells?"
A moment of gravity flashed through Milo's mind.
But as an experienced old-school assassin, his combat experience was vast.
Although surprised, his hands didn't slow down.
Just as the blade missed, he had already locked onto Su'en's position again.
***
This was the spatial instant-cast spell Su'en had obtained from Mr. Black — 【Blink】.
He had just mastered it two days ago, and now it was being put to use.
But this life-saving spell could only displace him over a very short distance. The few meters of Blink were nothing to a fifth-tier assassin's agility.
Watching the black-glowing dagger slice towards him again, Su'en desperately dodged, but the blade still grazed his abdomen, cutting through the dark golden skin.
Like a blade through leather, the cut left a two-finger-deep wound, and a jet of blood sprayed out.
It was a close brush with death.
At that moment, Su'en truly felt the terror of life hanging by a thread.
He quickly blinked again.
But what shocked Milo even more was his reaction to the cut: "【Vajra】? A third-tier law?!"
During the chase, he had thought he was overestimating "Mr. Fick," but it turned out he had underestimated him.
The strike he had just delivered was imbued with a fifth-tier wind law. Normally, it would have sliced through a second-tier like cutting through butter.
Even if it hit the waist, the sharpness of the blade should have bisected a second-tier professional instantly!
But what did he see?
He had assumed the golden glow on Su'en's skin was a similar spell, but it turned out to be the real 【Vajra】.
A high-tier flesh alchemy spell that only fourth or even fifth-tier physical professionals could master proficiently.
And what shocked him the most was the undeniable presence of a complete third-tier gold law in the 【Vajra】!
A second-tier professional knew 【Vajra】 and had even mastered a complete third-tier law?
"This kid is tricky! I must kill him quickly!"
Milo sensed something was wrong.
All the bizarre signs indicated that there was something very unusual about this man.
No matter how talented a person was, they couldn't possess these abilities.
So... there must be a powerful figure behind him!
How could there be a powerhouse in this cavern capable of nurturing such a "monster"?
The thought was terrifying, and he broke into a cold sweat.
With that thought, his blade became even sharper.
***
The enemy's offensive became more fierce.
On the other hand, Su'en was in a dire state.
He was barely managing, and his body was covered in cuts. If not for his robust physique, some of the trickier wounds could have been fatal.
Surviving so many rounds in the hands of a fifth-tier professional assassin was no small feat.
Such a record, not just for a second-tier professional but even for a third-tier, would be a source of pride.
Now, having exhausted all his methods just to stay alive, the enemy had figured out all his abilities.
Life and death hung by a thread.
If the fight continued, Su'en knew he was doomed.
Finally, Su'en, caring not for his dignity, shouted at the top of his lungs, "Mr. Mirror, save me!"
