usenovelgroup 006, The Shadow
006, The Shadow
Stroking... stroking... stroking...
The rhythmic friction sound was like a dull knife scraping bone, cutting into the nerves of everyone in front of the cage.
Xinlai even suppressed her breathing to a very slow pace.
In the darkness, a black leather boot stepped out of the shadows first.
Then came the entire elusive figure, rushing through the air at breakneck speed, striking his legs and disintegrating to both sides like a tide hitting a reef.
There was no time to think.
"Fireball!"
The magic network had already been secretly activated, and a large amount of magic power was instantly drawn out and poured into Xinlai's body.
A surge of immense energy flows through every engraved line, ultimately converging at the fingertips.
Two fire serpents spat out venomous fangs from the void, rapidly intertwining and expanding, condensing in the blink of an eye into a scorching fireball the size of a head.
Almost at the same moment he saw the boots, Xinlai hurled the fireball toward the predicted location!
The flames tore through the darkness, illuminating the entire corridor:
The face resembled a tree stump that had been dead for many years, twisted into a bizarre shape, with two crimson ghost flames flickering in its eye sockets.
It was surrounded by thick black flames, decaying and deteriorating, like a corpse that had just crawled out of a tomb.
His body was slender and hunched, his arms hanging heavily as if they were carrying a thousand pounds.
On the wrist, amidst the faint black mist swirling around the shadowy figure, a skull pierced by a dagger could be seen.
Having confirmed her identity, Xin Lai's eyes showed even more determination.
The fireball slammed into the shadowy figure's face, and Xin Lai gave him no chance to catch his breath.
The left foot slams down on the ground, and in the instant dust flies up, the hips rotate, the waist belt moves, and the shoulders thrust forward!
The longsword trailed a bright arc of light in mid-air:
Spinning Slash Lv.5!
However, the shadowy figure seemed to have already seen through his intentions. With a swift movement, the fireball grazed past his afterimage, like a signal flare shot vertically into the darkness, and finally exploded into a cloud of choking black smoke at the end of the corridor.
Sin Lai's pupils suddenly contracted.
not good!
In the corner of his eye, the dark figure had already turned to the side like a ghost: he wasn't retreating, he was turning to attack!
The target was those soldiers.
"Damn it!"
The soldiers were far from ordinary, but in front of this dark figure, they were as fragile as straw targets.
He raised his hand and then swung it down.
He was cut in half at the waist, his organs spilling onto the ground; then he raised his hand and took the head as easily as picking a ripe fruit, blood gushing out and splashing onto the ceiling.
The entire corridor instantly transformed into a living hell. The smell of rust and damp decay mingled and permeated the air, making one's throat taste sweet.
This strength... is simply outrageous.
Eve, standing to the side, stared wide-eyed at the bloody scene, a wave of nausea rising from the top of her head.
Even though Eve wasn't a pampered, delicate princess, the scene before her still made her body tremble uncontrollably. She opened her mouth to make a sound, but her vocal cords simply wouldn't vibrate.
She covered her mouth, kept moving backward, and finally huddled in the dark corner of the wall, like a frightened little rabbit, with drooping ears, wanting to run away but unable to.
Outside the cage, Xin Lai gritted her teeth, turned around, took a few steps, and unleashed another spinning slash!
Ding--!
The longsword struck the raised arm of the dark figure, sparks flew, and magical energy exploded outwards.
The shadowy figure remained unharmed.
"Dungeon under attack! Dungeon under attack—!!"
The sentries that Xin Lai had arranged beforehand had already fled the moment the swords clashed, and were calling for help in all directions.
What a joke.
He's only level 21 right now, while this thing in front of him... is at least level 30 or higher.
They'd rather gang up on each other than fight alone.
For eighteen years, Xinlai has proceeded with extreme caution, as if walking on thin ice. He absolutely cannot afford to be careless and fail to reach the other side!
The shadowy figure seemed to have not expected that the prince would be so uncivilized. After deflecting the longsword, he retaliated with a backhand elbow strike.
The elbow strike pierced the air with a sharp, piercing whistle.
Xin Lai felt a chill run down her spine and hastily blocked with her right arm at a 90-degree angle.
"boom--"
With a muffled thunderous roar, he was knocked back more than two meters, only managing to stop his retreat when the tip of his sword slammed into the ground.
"Such high physical strength?!"
There are many professions in this world, but professions like mage, priest, and wizard have very high entry barriers. Only wealthy families have enough resources to support them. Getting a job in these professions is equivalent to entering the system and being uniformly dispatched by the state.
Most people in the middle class can only pursue professions like warriors, tanks, or assassins, which can be strengthened through training and practice. Therefore, they continuously improve their physical strength to withstand magical damage in addition to normal attacks.
As for ordinary people... it's very difficult to come into contact with the extraordinary; being able to stay at home and farm peacefully is already a great blessing.
If that elbow strike had been a regular lethal spell, Xinlai would have lost an arm even if she had taken it head-on.
"No wonder he could break down the prison door with his bare hands..." He clutched his left shoulder, gritted his teeth, and twisted it. "So he's just incredibly strong, bricks fly?"
Before he finished speaking, he charged forward again.
He drew his sword and cut through the wind.
Even if it can't be delayed, it must be delayed.
Once reinforcements arrive, we might be able to capture one alive and find out more about him.
The longsword gleamed with a cold light, the hilt rose, and the blade pointed directly at the dark figure.
Thrust lv.5.
The sword, its blade gleaming with a faint yellow light, pierced out swiftly.
The shadowy figure remained motionless until the sword tip was almost upon it, then slowly and deliberately dodged to the side.
But how could Xinlai's sword be so straightforward?
The magical energy within his body was already blazing hot and boiling, ready to be unleashed.
As he closed in, he precisely captured the moment the shadowy figure turned to the side:
Illumination lv.2.
boom--!
A blinding white flame exploded within a small space, and the shadowy figure revealed its weakness for the first time, raising its arm to shield its eyes, its movements slightly halting.
Xin Lai had already turned her back to dodge, then kicked off with her hind foot, leaping lightly into the air as her longsword descended from above:
Slash Lv.5!
The moment the skill was released, Xin Lai suddenly felt that the dark figure in front of her slowed down a bit, and she could suddenly see the flow of the surrounding air more clearly...
[How many times has this longsword, now stained with sweat, been swung? Are the scarecrows destroyed by this skill now filling the warehouse?]
[Skill Slash Upgrade: lv.5→lv.6]
Xin Lai's hands, gripping the longsword, instantly bulged with veins, crackling and popping as her muscles and bones were strengthened.
"Click—"
Wood chips flew everywhere, but the expected scene of the dark figure being severely injured by this sword did not occur. Instead, it was stuck firmly in the "head" shrouded in black mist.
Sin Lai's pupils suddenly contracted.
Even though he was of average talent and had learned few skills, he had watched the top players grind monsters on the forum in his previous life and was able to learn a few combos. Individually, they were unremarkable, but when combined, they became deadly moves.
Moreover, at level 6, the chopping skill is no longer just about chopping wood; it possesses immense power capable of cutting through iron and gold, and upon further upgrades, it can even generate sword energy and battle aura.
But at this moment, the longsword was stuck in the skull of the dark figure and could not be pulled out!
This means that Sin Lai's slash level 6 couldn't even break through the shadow's defense!
Before the sway from landing had fully subsided, the shadowy figure seized the fleeting opening and unleashed a seemingly ordinary right straight punch.
"puff--"
Xin Lai felt as if she had been struck head-on by a meteorite in the chest. She was sent flying through the air, spitting out a mouthful of blood that spread into a fine mist in the dimly lit corridor.
The shadowy figure did not stop.
The second punch followed—
boom!!!
Smoke and dust billowed up, and gravel flew everywhere.
Xinlai felt dizzy and her consciousness was about to dissipate.
But in the next instant, it was gently and steadily supported by something soft.
The smoke and dust slowly settled.
The dark figure froze on the spot, a rare hint of alertness flashing in its crimson eyes, before it retreated swiftly as if fleeing.
However, it was too late.
The dust has settled.
A figure stood with his hands behind his back in front of Xin Lai, one hand outstretched, palm facing the rapidly fleeing black shadow.
His expression was calm, as if he were looking down at ants.
"Arcane Compression".
"puff--"
The shadowy figure's head, resembling a withered tree, was as if gently struck by an invisible hammer of pressure, suddenly compressing and cracking in mid-air.
Wood chips and black blood splattered everywhere, and the two crimson ghost flames were filled with unbelievable terror.
Two invisible giant hands reached out from the void and gently closed the already dead body.
The bones were broken, the flesh was mushy, and it was all kneaded into a ball.
After the terrifying, teeth-grinding sound, the entire corridor fell into dead silence, and the two giant hands disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Those soldiers who had been unable to participate earlier now leaned against the wall, panting heavily. Further away, guards who had rushed to the scene of the fierce battle had surrounded the area.
Harvey Gordon confirmed that the mass of flesh and blood was completely lifeless before quickly turning to look at the woman who was supporting Xinlai's head.
"How is it?"
His face looked grim, and a hint of worry lingered between his brows.
"Minor injury."
Alaya looked intently at Xinlai with her delicate face, gently resting Xinlai's head on her smooth, soft thighs, her five jade-like fingers spread out, aimed at his sunken chest.
A pale green halo flowed slowly, and slender branches emerged from her palm, gently burrowing into the hideous purple bruise on Xinlai's chest.
Harvey Gordon, Asgardian dungeon guardian, half-step sixth-circle mage, level 59.
At that moment, Gordon's heart skipped a beat.
The Third Prince was attacked and seriously injured while guarding the witch in the dungeon...
Buhou, my official hat!