The explosion resounded through the sky, the shockwave spreading mercilessly in all directions.
“Cough… Everyone! Is everyone alright?”
Zuo Erte looked anxiously toward the positions of the others behind him, his heart burning with worry.
Kan Na and Kai En crawled out from the dust, coughing incessantly.
They pulled Duo Si, who had been buried, out from the rubble. Though everyone looked somewhat battered, thankfully none of them were injured.
“Whew… Thank goodness.”
Zuo Erte let out a long sigh of relief.
“Thank you, Thunderlight. You saved us again…”
Man En didn’t respond. He simply walked on his own toward the center of the explosion.
But there was nothing there but scorched black earth. Where was the trace of the Magic Stone?
‘Just as I thought. That bastard was coming for me.’
Whether it was the Synthetic Beast that could interfere with Divine Light, or that bizarre Magic Stone.
Either way, he needed to explain the situation to Sophien as soon as possible. The Heretic God Sect was likely planning a major move.
He turned around and spoke seriously to Zuo Erte.
“Zuo Erte, you shouldn’t return to Dalkez City for now. It can no longer be considered safe…”
“Then… where should we go? Duo Si’s injury still needs prompt treatment…”
“In any case, the farther, the better.”
After saying this, Man En turned to leave.
“Wait, Sir Thunderlight!”
Zuo Erte suddenly called out, stopping Man En.
He tossed over a small pouch and waved at Man En.
“As promised, ten Can Coins. Your reward!”
Looking at the pouch in his hand, Man En smiled, simply said, “Until we meet again,” and vanished from the spot.
“Should we listen to Sir Thunderlight’s words?”
Kan Na walked over with a weary expression, asking the equally disheveled Zuo Erte.
“Those who listen to advice will eat their fill…”
After this series of bizarre events, even the most oblivious person would realize something was wrong.
He looked over at Kai En.
“Duo Si? How is he?”
“Nothing serious, but his movement is limited.”
“Get him. We’re leaving now.”
…
“In any case, that’s what happened.”
Man En had returned to Sophien’s residence and roughly explained the situation to her.
“Those madmen took the initiative. Is it because they know we’re investigating them in secret, or is there another reason?”
“Or perhaps both? This guild mission was clearly a trap.”
After saying this, Man En turned to look at Sophien.
“Sir Commander, how goes it on your end?”
“The soldiers sent by my father to reinforce us have already arrived. As for my own people… To my shame, I still haven’t obtained any useful information about the Heretic God Sect.”
She lowered her head, somewhat dejected, but more than that, filled with unwillingness.
“We have informants everywhere in the city. We’ve practically turned over every stone, yet there’s not a single clue. Can they just vanish into thin air?”
Man En remained silent. He remembered the Synthetic Beast that had been deployed ahead of time, lost in thought.
‘If he could place that thing alone outside the city, then creating a separate space for himself and his comrades to hide in shouldn’t be difficult either.’
‘If that’s the case, how are they obtaining their intelligence?’
Could there be a mole? But not many people should know about my movements.
Though Man En only said half of what he was thinking, he believed the other party could understand his implication.
He shot Sophien a meaningful glance. Sophien immediately caught on, giving an almost imperceptible nod.
“In any case, let’s first go to the guild and find out who commissioned that mission.”
“It seems that’s the only thing we can do…”
“Te Li Ke!”
Sophien called out someone’s name.
A burly man heard her and walked over, bowing respectfully to her.
“Sir Commander, what are your orders?”
Man En looked at him, finding him somewhat familiar.
‘Isn’t this the number one ranked person who tied with me?’
Sophien looked at him and said, “Go with Lord Mann to the guild and investigate who exactly issued that commission. With your high-ranking adventurer status, I trust the guild won’t refuse you.”
“Make sure to disguise yourself and keep a low profile.”
“Understood.”
The burly man named Te Li Ke accepted the order without hesitation. He left the place together with Man En.
After confirming the two had left, Sophien looked toward Yi Lai Si, who had emerged from within.
“How is it, Miss Yi Lai Si? Did you sense anything unusual?”
“This… I can’t say for certain.”
“However, he does have a residual aura similar to Man En’s on him.”
“Please follow them and take a look. If necessary, lend Man En a hand.”
…
Man En and Te Li Ke were on their way to the guild. Just as they were about to pass through a secluded alley, Te Li Ke suddenly blocked Man En’s path.
“Sir Te Li Ke, what is the meaning of this?”
“I was thinking, shouldn’t we settle who’s stronger right now?”
He turned around, glaring at Man En, his killing intent surging.
“Oh? But your stance looks more like you want to kill me.”
Man En looked at him calmly, not at all surprised by this turn of events.
“So that mission was commissioned by you, wasn’t it? How about telling me your reason for betraying Sophien? I’m rather interested.”
“You want to know? Go ask Satan in Hell!”
Without another word, he gathered all his strength and Battle Qi into his fist, hurling it at Man En with overwhelming momentum.
Though Man En promptly created a Holy Light Dagger to block, the injuries he sustained from fighting the Synthetic Beast left him suppressed in every exchange. His dagger was even destroyed several times.
Te Li Ke looked at his somewhat battered opponent, feeling immensely pleased.
“Kid, where’s that arrogance of yours from before?”
“Just a coward taking advantage of another’s misfortune…”
“Hmph, take your pride and go to Hell!”
Before Man En could recover, a terrifyingly powerful blow came straight for his head.
Just as the situation became critical, the attack came to a halt right before Man En’s eyes, unable to advance even an inch.
At his feet, countless vines that had sprouted from nowhere bound him tightly, continuously draining the Mana within his body.
“You’re… a bit late… Yi Lai Si.”
Man En sat on the ground, still shaken. For a moment there, he really thought he was going to die.
“This spell takes too long to prepare. Don’t be so picky.”
She turned to look at Te Li Ke, who was still struggling, and slowly spoke.
“Speak. What is the Heretic God Sect’s goal? And where are they now?”
“You despicable bastard… I’ll never tell you anything!”
“You?!”
Man En stood up and patted Yi Lai Si on the shoulder.
“Let me handle this. Just coordinate with me.”
Man En walked up to Te Li Ke, looking him up and down with an icy gaze.
“What are you staring at! Even if I die—”
“Ah!”
A piercing scream echoed through the entire dark alley.
A glowing dagger was firmly embedded in his inner thigh.
“Depending on your answer, I can give you a chance, or I can just cripple you right here.”
Man En bit down hard on the last few words. Any man would understand his implication, especially given the location of the dagger strike. Everything proved he meant exactly that.
“Fine… I’ll talk… I’ll talk…”
“The headquarters wants to take revenge on the Empire. To that end, they’ve collected a large number of Magic Stones from magical beasts…”
Te Li Ke’s expression suddenly turned grotesque. Blood began seeping from all seven orifices.
“…It hurts so much…”
“Hey, Man En. What’s wrong with him all of a sudden?”
Looking at his rapidly swelling abdomen and the faint spatial fluctuations, Man En’s sharp instincts warned him of danger.
“Don’t… don’t leave! Save me! I don’t want to die!”
“Sir A Ke Lei En… spare me!…”
He ignored Te Li Ke entirely, hastily grabbed Yi Lai Si’s hand, and quickly fled the area.
Under their watchful eyes, his body directly exploded, as if it had been burst apart by something invisible that kept expanding.
That thing annihilated everything it touched. By the time the two had recovered their senses, aside from a sizable crater in the ground, nothing remained.