Oh no, this High-Rank Demon’s target seems to be the Ninth Saintess!
Ze’en really wanted to just bolt right then, but his professional ethics told him he absolutely could not abandon Kashan and flee alone, so he hurriedly said to Kashan:
“Chief Priest, if we run now, there might still be a slim chance of survival!”
“But what about the Saintess and the people of Deya City?!”
“The Saintess has the Shadow Guard protecting her, so no need to worry, but the people of Deya City… we can’t do anything about them…”
Ze’en’s reply was very straightforward. Kashan also looked bitter, but a flash of inspiration quickly came to her.
She swiftly turned to look at Little Mist:
“Oh right, Saintess, you still have a Ninth Rank Dark Guard! The situation is so urgent now. As long as you speak, that Guard will definitely show up!”
“Uh, Shadow Guard… what’s that?” Little Mist said softly.
“Huh?!”
In response to Little Mist’s answer, Ze’en and Kashan were so anxious they stomped their feet. Had no one told Truth all this time that a Ninth Rank Dark Guard had been hidden by her side?!
“What are you brats babbling about while ignoring me?”
At that moment, the Demon’s voice once again shook the entire Deya City, startling Kashan into immediately hugging Little Mist and hiding behind Ze’en.
Ze’en also frowned, drawing from his back a folding longbow forged from a special material, which then quickly extended with a “clack,” while streaks of flowing light rippled across its surface.
Without even needing a physical arrow, Ze’en gently pulled the illusory bowstring of the longbow, and an arrow of holy attribute magic power, designed to counter Demons, appeared nocked on the bow!
“Yo, an Element Transform Bow, that’s rare. What’s its name?” The Demon sized up Ze’en’s weapon with interest.
“Ze’en!”
“Why are you reporting your name? Are you that important? I was asking for the weapon’s name.”
“You! Hmph, you don’t need to know!”
“True, a weapon I already know about must be garbage.”
The Demon’s mouth was foul, making Ze’en a bit angry. But even so, he still didn’t dare to act recklessly, because he couldn’t determine which Original Demon this Demon before him was.
Their ranks were at least one major step apart. On top of that, he had no information about the enemy at all.
Ze’en had no idea how to win; he could only try everything to stall until the Ninth Saintess’s Shadow Guard made a move…
Kashan, pale-faced, gathered her courage and asked loudly. That strong sense of unease was pressing down on her so much she could barely breathe.
“You… what is your purpose?!”
“Purpose? I heard a new Saintess came to the Dea Plateau, so I came to have a look. I heard every Saintess is extremely gentle, so I’m very curious — what’s the difference between the sound of their screams and other Humans!”
The Demon grew more and more excited as he spoke, as if already anticipating Little Mist’s agonized screams.
Upon hearing this, Little Mist’s whole body went limp and her pink pupils constricted sharply.
‘No way, are you serious?!’
She was starting to regret agreeing to Truth’s Plan C…
Upstairs on the second floor, Truth had only told her that she would think of a way to kidnap her later, and her only job was to act as the Ninth Saintess; she could improvise the rest.
And then Little Mist agreed, because otherwise Truth’s iron fist would have come down on her.
But the situation developed far beyond Little Mist’s expectations.
Shouldn’t a kidnapping involve a few thieves sneaking up and throwing her into a sack?
So what was this High-Rank Demon that nearly scared her pissless doing here?!
“Truth, did you summon this Demon…”
Feeling uncertain, Little Mist directly called out to Truth through her Authority.
“What did you call me?” Truth replied coldly.
“Ah, I forgot! Yes… sorry, Big Sister!”
“That’s more like it. Anyway, you don’t need to worry; everything is under control.”
Truth didn’t directly tell Little Mist that she was personally carrying out the kidnapping herself, because Truth didn’t trust Little Mist’s acting skills; she was afraid that if Little Mist knew, she would no longer have that panicked expression.
“Hidden One, um, it seems your Envoy has run into big trouble…”
On the balcony of the second floor of the Cathedral, Tia was also secretly sending a message to Truth.
Since she didn’t know whether the current Ninth Saintess was Truth or Little Mist, she used the term “Envoy.”
“It’s fine, just stay hidden. Don’t worry about anything else,” Truth replied.
Then Tia could confirm that the current Ninth Saintess was Little Mist.
Sigh, seeing the Hidden One’s perfunctory reply, Little Mist really was the Hidden One’s abandoned child in the Mist…
Under the blood-red sky, a mass panic and flight broke out in Deya City. Even the Demon Hunters from Wangdu all withdrew from the city.
They were well aware that their ranks couldn’t handle this sudden High-Rank Demon; rather than staying in the city to be cannon fodder, it was better to stay alive and see the dust settle before restoring order in the city.
So now, the only one daring to draw his weapon against the High-Rank Demon was Ze’en.
He was freaking out immensely, because after stating his purpose, the High-Rank Demon was taking his time and hadn’t attacked yet, as if waiting for something?
And so they remained silent for a good while.
This feeling of waiting for judgment was really unbearable.
Ze’en wanted to just shout “Kill me or torture me, just get on with it,” but he was afraid the High-Rank Demon would actually just kill him with one blow.
Ze’en’s most desired outcome was to be heavily wounded and collapse weakly off to the side, so that he could both fight as a bodyguard to the very end and also save his own skin…
Then Truth also grew a bit anxious. ‘Seriously, why hasn’t Omili come yet?’
“Ooh, here she comes!”
After sensing a powerful Space energy from afar, Truth finally made a move.
With a thought, she generated a mass of Control-Type Tentacles around the three of them—Kashan, Little Mist, and Ze’en—while her main body charged at Ze’en in a bizarre manner.
The huge eyeballs that filled her pupils burst open, and half of the Blood Demon’s main body continuously polluted Ze’en’s mind!
“Quick, get inside the Cathedral!”
Ze’en shouted to Kashan and Little Mist behind him, then drew the longbow to its fullest.
With a sharp sound of piercing wind, the holy attribute arrow designed to counter all Demons in the world shot straight toward the Demon’s main body!
As the arrow flew, it transformed into nine identical arrows, flying in alternating, almost unpredictable trajectories.
And it wasn’t over yet; halfway through their flight, the nine arrows suddenly turned invisible, giving the Demon no chance to judge their flight path with the naked eye!
“Tsk tsk tsk. Element Rangers are just as sneakily underhanded as ever,”
Truth remarked. For PVP, if someone hasn’t familiarized themselves with the various skills of Rangers after Rank Six, they’re in for the ultimate experience.
Take Ze’en, for instance, an Element Ranger focused on magic damage.
The mere fact that his magic arrows can curve, turn invisible, and multiply is enough to give a Same Rank opponent a hard time.
What’s even more outrageous is that you must never let this class’s Magic-Breaking Homing Arrow lock onto you.
Once locked, it will continuously chase the target until it hits or is destroyed, as long as the caster’s mana hasn’t run out.
Truth had often been irritated by this skill in the past.
Before dealing with the homing arrow, she couldn’t re-enter stealth, which made the Players in her guild who specialized in countering Assassins mock her endlessly…
That was back when Truth could still handle Ranger skills with her eyes closed.
Now, Truth could handle more than ninety percent of Ranger skills with her eyes closed.
“Wuum—”
Just as the nine holy attribute arrows were about to hit Truth, suddenly, Ze’en only felt the space before his eyes start to violently shake.
Then a streak of red light flashed, and Truth’s main body had swapped positions with the nine holy attribute arrows.
The nine arrows continued flying into the distance, while Truth appeared unscathed in front of Ze’en, extending her claws…
“Now!”
Ze’en didn’t show panic. Instead, he stepped back and steadied his footing.
With a “click,” the transforming longbow in his hand changed into a Flowing Light Longblade!
“I knew this Demon would underestimate me and charge right up. That attack just now was just a diversion! The real attack is my full-power Holy Light Strike!”
“But don’t forget, Rangers don’t just shoot arrows!”
Ze’en swung the Flowing Light Longblade with all his might in both hands, carving out a platinum-colored blade of light!