Chapter 30

"Useless! You still have the nerve to speak!" The large man angrily shouted, "More than ten of us couldn't beat a twelve-year-old kid. If I were you, I would have found a wall and smashed my head against it long ago."

Seeing the large man's anger, Derrick didn't dare to say another word. The shoulder that had been kicked felt as if it was shattered, and he endured the pain, lying on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, not daring to argue for fear of provoking the large man's anger even more. The man who could get him out of the city guard's black prison could also make it impossible for him to die if he wanted.

"Money is a small matter, but if our people are beaten by a mere herbalist's apprentice... even a temple novice, and there's no retribution, how can we handle things in the future? That pharmacy must be wiped out! Not even a chicken or a dog should be left alive!" The large man's eyes gleamed with a cold, knife-like light, speaking with viciousness.

"Sir, will the Goddess of Mercy punish us for this?" one of his subordinates asked worriedly. Once it involved the temple or the church, things were never as simple as bullying ordinary people.

"Spit!" The large man spat a mouthful of scorched yellow saliva, which landed right on the face of the subordinate who had voiced his concerns, and scolded, "The priests of the Church of Mercy can't even perform effective divine magic. Whether this goddess exists or not is still questionable. Who dares to hit my people? That novice, I will ambush him on his way to the church academy, cut off his head, and throw it in the garbage pile on West Street. This is the fate of those who oppose our Dagger Guild. Everyone must know that the only outcome of offending us is death!"

Seeing the large man's fierce expression, everyone in the room was as silent as cicadas in winter, all responding in unison. Facing their leader's anger, this fear was real, and the Goddess of Mercy? Such an abstract existence, no one would give it much thought.

At that moment, the air in the room seemed to pause slightly, as if something had changed.

The large man who had just boasted about ambushing Jiang Junming's face turned serious, and a bright short knife appeared in his hand. The dagger emitted a faint blue light, and anyone with common sense knew that this short knife was definitely coated with a deadly poison. As the short knife swung, a faint, sweet scent filled the air. It was the smell of Goro grass, whose juice could cause instant death upon contact with blood. No! Even a slight scratch, without bleeding, would be enough to kill a lion with just a tiny bit of the poison.

In that instant, only the leader of the Dagger Guild noticed the anomaly and drew his knife without hesitation, preparing to attack.

A person in a black robe appeared in the corner of the room, shrouded in a black robe, with a faint layer of black mist surrounding them, making their features indistinct. It was impossible to tell if they were male or female, or how old they were.

"Who are you!" The large man roared, not waiting for the black-robed person to respond, and charged directly at them. Like a seasoned warrior on the battlefield, he crashed through anything in his path. Table and chair fragments flew everywhere, and even a Dagger Guild member who got in his way was kicked aside, their fate unknown. The dark blue light on the short knife intensified, like the fangs of a venomous snake, carrying a heavy aura of death as it lunged at the black-robed person.

The dark blue light flickered like the residual arcs of a lightning strike, leaving trails in the air as the large man swung the knife.

The black-robed person appeared suddenly and silently. Even as the leader of the Dagger Guild launched his attack, the other members were still dazed, unaware of what was happening. A gentle breeze stirred, causing the black robe to billow slightly, and many black auras appeared, as if emerging from the robe or seeping out from beneath it, quickly filling the entire room. The room's lights dimmed, as if the sun had been obscured by dark clouds.

With the black-robed person at the center, dozens of black auras shot out like arrows. Each one seemed to have a life of its own, moving sinuously through the air, extremely fast yet silent, carrying a chilling and ghostly presence, each one heading toward a different Dagger Guild member from different angles.

There was no sound. The black auras seemed to devour everything, even the sound of their own movement through the air. In the silence, a deep sense of death permeated the room. This feeling was so real that the eyes of the Dagger Guild's men instantly filled with a look of despair and confusion. This was something they could not resist, and they didn't even know what the black auras were. The unknown itself was terrifying, and the black auras carried a real sense of death. They wanted to scream in fear, but before they could flee or cry out, the black auras had already reached them.

They had no idea how to defend themselves. Even the strongest of them were powerless against divine magic, as helpless as children.

The leader of the Dagger Guild's eyes flashed with a fierce determination. Despite the sudden appearance of the anomaly, he did not try to evade but instead swung his short knife directly at the black aura heading toward him.

As the short knife swung, the large man roared, his entire body bursting with strength. The scar on his face bulged, twisted, and ugly, like a blood-red centipede. Dark light erupted from his bulging muscles, enveloping his body like a leather armor.

The leader of the Dagger Guild was actually a second-level Dark Warrior!

With a roar, the dark light on the short knife surged, slicing the black aura to pieces. It shattered like a soft stone, breaking into countless fragments.

As the black aura was sliced, the leader of the Dagger Guild stepped forward, charging at the black-robed figure with the speed of a thunderbolt, like a raging bull, determined to kill the opponent with simple, brutal force. With the dark magic shattered, only a physically weak Dark Mage stood before him. The black-robed person could do nothing but die; they had no strength to resist!

This battle, he was certain to win. The leader's eyes glowed with even more ferocity, as if he intended to tear the black-robed person apart like the shattered black aura.

But as he took a step forward, his foot still in the air, he felt as if all his strength had been drained. His swift movements halted, and even his hand holding the short knife became weak and limp. With a clatter, the short knife fell to the ground.

******

New book, Xiao Long is seeking collections, recommendations, and donations. Thank you to "狂·就是这样, jonesw" for the donation. By the way, is the name "jonesw" derived from "A Song of Ice and Fire"?

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