Chapter 45

"Activate Shield!" Gordon shouted, and a dark golden eagle-shaped shield instantly appeared out of thin air. It hovered in mid-air, blocking in front of Gordon, emitting a faint hum. The entire shield, broad at the top and pointed at the bottom, was enveloped in a pale green light membrane—this was the wind element, the key factor that allowed the shield to activate and float.

Mithril is four times stronger than the best steel but has only one-fifth the density and has excellent affinity with arcane energy, making it a top-tier material for crafting magical equipment. Although Gordon's activated shield was coated with a layer of harder and heavier adamantine on the surface, it still retained the advantages of being light and agile.

Facing enemies far outnumbering his side, Gordon first deployed this newly crafted magical item.

Among the people brought by Mane, there were eighteen armed sailors, who were only at the level of first-tier warriors, just a bit stronger than ordinary people. There were also six men in chainmail, holding long swords and round wooden shields, who were likely squad leaders and could reach the level of fourth-tier warriors. As for Mane, he drew two daggers from his waist, licked his lips, and showed a look of eager for slaughter. Gordon had some impression of his speed, thinking he was at least a sixth-tier rogue.

"Shelley, cover me," Gordon whispered, then took out a scroll from his waist.

Deep and active magical syllables echoed in the narrow and dark sewer. Shelley had learned arcane knowledge from Gordon a few times and recognized that the spell Gordon was using was more complex and required a longer preparation time.

"Charge quickly, stop him from casting!" Mane's expression changed slightly, pushing two sailors with knives in front of him, then crouching in the dim passage, turning into a black shadow and pouncing toward the target.

Seeing the enemies surge like a tide, to buy Gordon enough time, Shelley gritted her teeth, took four iron balls from a leather pouch at her waist, and smashed them on the ground in front of her. The thin shells of the iron balls exploded on the cold, dirty ground, and flames shot up, forming an almost insurmountable wall of fire that surrounded Gordon and Shelley, blocking all the enemies outside.

Although rangers mainly specialize in archery, they also have some proficiency in melee weapons and traps. Almost every ranger carries some unique traps for emergencies.

"These fire wall grenades are for emergencies!" Shelley thought, feeling angry about the loss of gold, and vented her anger on the enemies.

She shot three arrows in quick succession, and the cries of the wounded echoed through the fire wall.

Just as the spell was about to be completed, Gordon suddenly sensed danger. With a thought, the activated shield moved to protect his left front.

Almost simultaneously, metal clashed, sparks flew, and two crisp sounds came from the shield.

"Damn!" Mane emerged from the darkness. Because the fire wall blocked him, he could not get close to Gordon and could only throw daggers in stealth mode. However, the opponent seemed to have the ability to predict the future, directing the activated shield to completely block his attack.

Gordon sighed in relief. In the previous battle, he had drunk a "First Strike" potion, and the second battle came so quickly that the potion's effect had not yet worn off, so he still had a keen insight into the enemy's next attack.

The private soldiers of the Ritter family gathered in front of the fire wall, unable to advance. They glared at Gordon and Shelley, waiting for the flames to weaken before rushing forward to cut them to pieces.

Unfortunately, before the fire wall disappeared, Gordon had finished reading the magic scroll. The reason it took longer was that the scroll Gordon read was a fourth-level spell, "Evard's Black Tentacles." When a wizard uses a scroll beyond their casting ability, they must be extremely careful and cautious, or they might lose control of the high-level arcane energy and suffer backlash. This fourth-level magic scroll came from Hawlin's dimensional bag and was likely purchased at great cost by the enchanter for self-preservation. Now, it had become Gordon's powerful weapon to turn the tide of battle.

The spell energy in the scroll was perfectly extracted by Gordon. Several black liquid droplets flew from Gordon's hand, sinking into the ground, and then dozens of thick tentacles, as wide as an adult's waist, with suckers and barbs, rose from the ground, lashing out at everything alive within range.

Cries of pain echoed in the narrow space. A single strike from a tentacle could send a strong man flying. If someone was unlucky enough to be entangled, they would only be able to make a bone-cracking sound as the tentacle tightened, and then die a tragic death.

The armed sailors, who were only covered by vests, were the first to die. Only the six better-equipped squad leaders and Mane himself, after forming a defensive formation, could resist the tentacle attacks and stabilize the situation. However, Evard's Black Tentacles could not last long, with each caster level providing one minute of duration. Gordon realized the battle was at a stalemate, and if it continued, he would fail.

He changed his gesture, chanted a spell, and pointed at the enemy: "Enlargement!"

Mane was immediately enveloped in a green light, his body suddenly growing, his height doubling, and his weight increasing eightfold. The six shield-bearing warriors, who were in a dense defensive formation, were completely disrupted by this sudden change. Mane's suddenly enlarged body pushed his comrades aside, creating a gap in the formation.

The black tentacles, as if sensing the enemy's confusion, immediately followed with a fierce attack.

The Enlargement spell is usually a beneficial spell that increases the target's size, weight, strength, and health, but reduces agility and evasion. It is generally used on heavily armored allies to better attract enemies and protect the backline.

However, sometimes using it on the enemy can also have good effects.

Mane, unexpectedly resilient, managed to survive even after all his subordinates were eliminated by the black tentacles. Using his own strength and the increased power from the spell, he forcibly broke free from a tentacle wrapped around his waist and broke through the encirclement.

"Damn! I didn't expect these two to be so tough. I have to retreat. When I find reinforcements, I will kill them in the most cruel way, especially that woman!"

Mane ran quickly, escaping the tentacles' range. Unfortunately, he underestimated the inconvenience of his enlarged form, which significantly reduced his speed. Suddenly, Mane felt a piercing pain in his ankle, unable to exert force, and his legs gave out, kneeling on the ground. He was horrified and turned to see an arrow deeply embedded in his right ankle, the feathered tail still trembling from the impact.

"Spare... spare me," Mane's arrogance was driven away by the fear of death, and he begged as he saw Shelley, her face cold, approaching with a bow.

"Spare you? So you can go on to harm other girls?" Shelley's lips were tightly pressed, and she released the bowstring.

The arrow accurately pierced Mane's throat, and he collapsed like a pile of mud, twitching a few times before lying still.

"Revenge, satisfied?" Gordon smiled.

Shelley nodded, saying nothing. Although she hadn't suffered any real loss, today's encounter was a great humiliation in her adventuring career. Now, having killed the culprit with her own hands, Shelley finally felt at ease.

Using a fourth-level scroll, Gordon felt somewhat fatigued. Checking the experience gained from the battle, he found he was only 500 points away from reaching level four.

"Indeed, battle is the fastest way to level up, but the risk is too high."

"Let's go," Gordon patted the half-elf ranger's shoulder, "We'll soon be within communication range. We're almost there."

...

Hawlin Heidelberg walked alone in the dirty, damp, dark, and narrow sewer, filled with the stench of decay. He didn't care about the harsh environment or the shouts and cries coming from all directions.

Gordon ultimately succeeded. He broke through the encirclement of several groups and successfully transmitted the message. About fifteen minutes ago, the Lord of Bluewater City, Count Julian, personally led a large force composed of the Dawn Temple, Platinum Temple, the police, and the city guard, launching an attack on the Ritter family's forces hiding in the sewers.

All the sewer entrances in the city were sealed, and a fleet of three heavy crossbow warships from the naval base thirty miles away in Tarnis was on its way to block the river. No one could escape, and they would be killed one by one by the sword of national power and justice.

Is the enemy just? Am I evil? Maybe, who cares.

Hawlin sneered inwardly. He had only one goal now: to kill Gordon Freeman.

He stopped, looked around, and found himself in a rectangular open area with only two exits and four walls.

"Gordon, come out," Hawlin's hoarse voice was filled with murderous intent.

A young man in a mage's robe, with black hair, walked out of the shadows at the intersection. Beside him was a fiery-figured ranger girl.

"Meeting you here is not surprising. It seems you have fully joined the Ritter family. Hmm, besides enchantment, your divination school spells are also quite good, Hawlin. Otherwise, you wouldn't have found me so quickly," Gordon said. Despite frequent battles, his mage's robe was stained with blood and dirt, and he looked tired and disheveled. However, his expression was calm, as if everything was under control.

Hawlin laughed sinisterly, like a ghost wrapped in flesh and blood: "Although I lost to you last time, I am not the same now."

He glanced at Shelley with blood-red eyes: "Although you have a helper, the numerical advantage is not on your side."

Hawlin raised his hands, and the wide sleeves of his robe slid down, revealing his thin arms. On his pale skin, three strange magical runes glowed with a deep orange light, like molten lava from the abyss.

Three large, muscular humanoids with thick arms that reached the ground appeared beside Hawlin. Their muscles were taut and solid, like iron, containing explosive power. Their fur was a dull red, and their large nostrils exhaled a sulfuric smell.

"Infernal Gorillas," Gordon immediately recognized the type of summoned creatures.

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