Chapter 21

After Bak used his innate skill, his muscles swelled, his veins bulged, and he panted hot breaths, his bloodshot single eye fixed on Tang En, with no one else in his sight.

"Fight me!"

Bak roared and pounced at Tang En!

"Pass this test first!"

Danny rushed forward!

"Bang!"

The giant axe and the longsword collided. The longsword shattered with a loud crack, and the giant axe, undiminished, slashed into Danny's body!

"Danny!"

Uncle Depu cried out in shock, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot: "I will kill you!"

"Uncle Depu, calm down! Danny is fine!"

"What!?"

Depu, who had been held back, focused his gaze and was shocked to find that Danny, who had been slashed by the giant axe, was actually unharmed. Although he had been knocked back and suffered some impact, he was not torn in two.

"I, I'm fine?"

Danny himself was also stunned, looking at the broken sword in his hand, completely at a loss as to what had happened.

"The gods protect Ellington!"

Seeing Danny unharmed after being hit by the battle axe, though they didn't know how, the guards became even more fervent.

The enemy was right in front of them, and they didn't have to worry about getting hurt. If they couldn't repel the enemy and protect Ellington under these conditions, what was the point of their existence!?

"Kill them all!"

"Kill!"

Hearing the cries of battle, Bak was stunned.

He knew very well how much force he had used with that axe. It could split even the hardest rock, let alone human flesh. Even precious magical metals like mithril and adamantite would be left with deep marks after a single strike!

But what had just happened?

That boy, Danny, wasn't even an Awakened, so how could his body withstand such a blow?

Impossible!

This was absolutely impossible!

Although Bak tried to remain calm, everyone could see that he was panicking.

"Little thief, come and fight me properly."

Tang En pointed his longsword at Bak: "I'll teach you how to fight in close combat."

First, it must be said that the notion that mages cannot engage in close combat is a complete fallacy!

In any combat profession, the first priority in battle is to ensure one's own safety.

During adventures, teammates can fall into danger at any moment, and the only one who can protect you is yourself.

Are mages weak in close combat?

Perhaps they are, but it depends on who they are compared to.

With the buffs from spells like Giant Strength, Wind Elegance, Physical Damage Suppression, Spell Damage Suppression, Storm Shield, Mage Armor, Dragon Scale Skin, and Enchanted Flame Weapons, a mage's combat power is no less than that of a warrior, and in times of crisis, a mage's adaptability is even stronger!

In addition, there are close-range spells like Frost Nova, Spectral Blade, and Arcane Shock that can control and damage the battlefield in an instant.

Of course, being able to engage in close combat doesn't mean one must do so. A skilled mage can use various ingenious spells to toy with the enemy before they even get close.

The significance of mastering close combat is that when an enemy finally manages to get close after great effort, they will face another round of fierce attacks.

The white-robed mage Gandalf once said, "A mage who can't engage in close combat is not a good mage." In short, a good mage will never be weak in close combat. That's just how it is.

"You're asking for death! You think you can kill me? I'm a late-stage Bronze 3 warrior!"

"Wait! It's my turn!"

Bryan clenched his fists, picked up his warhammer, and glared at Bak: "I've been wanting to beat you up for a long time!"

"I'll let you have your turn later. First, I'll teach him a lesson."

Tang En blocked Bryan. Although Bryan had a treasure weapon, Tang En didn't know his true strength and didn't want to risk him.

"Fine, fine, you can have your fun first."

Bryan reluctantly moved to the side, wiping his warhammer and glancing at Bak: "Don't die too soon!"

Bak was already embarrassed for not killing Danny with one axe strike, and now being provoked by this guy, how could he bear it!

Bak roared, red light bursting from his body, and he raised his axe to slash at Tang En, his momentum unstoppable!

"Combat Skill — Double Heavy Slash!"

The giant axe came at Tang En, and he saw two images of the axe. Since this was a combat skill, it couldn't be an illusion. When the attack landed, it would be real damage.

However, for Tang En, it was nothing. Even if he stood there and let the axe strike him, he wouldn't be hurt.

But that would scare the others, so Tang En decided to put on a show.

"Clang, clang, clang—"

The longsword quickly tapped the giant axe, defusing the attack. The axe missed and struck the ground, creating a crack over three meters long.

At the same time, Tang En's body moved swiftly, and as he passed by Bak, his sword blade left a bloody mark on Bak's body.

"Roar!"

The pain and blood did not diminish Bak's fighting spirit; instead, it made him more ferocious and murderous.

Bak twisted his body and began to spin with the giant axe.

"Combat Skill — Giant Axe Whirlwind!"

Bak transformed into a tornado, the powerful suction pulling everything around him, including barrels, tables, chairs, and even unlucky bandits.

The unlucky bandits were torn into pieces by the axe and the strong wind before they could even cry for help, their blood splattering everywhere.

On the other hand, the guards, after being buffed by Tang En's spells, had their strength and speed greatly increased. The Giant Axe Whirlwind had no effect on them, and they had already moved far away when it formed.

"Be careful, my lord!"

"Move aside! I'll help my lord!"

"Are you looking for death!? Didn't you see that my lord isn't afraid at all!?"

"Don't worry, my lord will be fine!"

Elsa split a bandit in two with her sword, turned her head, and saw Bak spinning after Tang En, instantly alarmed: "My lord, I'll help you!"

"No need."

Tang En waved his hand, looking at Bak with a sense of helplessness.

Was this combat skill really meant for suicide?

Bak didn't know what Tang En was thinking. At that moment, he only wanted to kill Tang En.

He had paid a great price to obtain this Giant Axe Whirlwind skill and had undergone rigorous training to master it. It had always been effective, and today it would surely kill Tang En!

Kill Tang En, seize Ellington!

A happy life was within his reach!

Bak's spirits lifted, and just as he was about to lock onto Tang En, he suddenly found that Tang En had disappeared!

Where did he go!?

Bak's heart raced, and he spun even more wildly, the tornado's suction becoming even stronger, causing the nearby buildings to shake.

However, to the others, it was a different scene.

Bak was spinning blindly, while Tang En was moving swiftly around him.

"Lord Bak! He's right next to you! Next to you!"

Damn it! I can't see him at all!

Bak was furious but not worried, as the Giant Axe Whirlwind had a 360-degree attack range, and Tang En couldn't get close.

"What's going on? My lord is right next to him, but he can't see him?"

"How would I know?"

Elsa watched for a while and then realized: "I see!"

"I see!"

Elsa paused, looked at Fiona, and they both smiled, understanding each other.

Tang En and Bak were moving at the same speed, always staying in Bak's blind spot. No matter how Bak spun, he couldn't see Tang En!

However...

Elsa frowned. It sounded simple, but it was actually very difficult.

Bak was a late-stage Bronze 3 warrior, almost Bronze 4. To suppress his speed and keep up with his rhythm, one would need to be at least Bronze 5. Could it be that my lord was a Bronze 5 warrior?

Fiona didn't have such thoughts. She knew Tang En's strength and found nothing strange about it. She was just wondering how long Tang En would toy with Bak.

"It's time to end this."

Tang En had no interest in playing. Bak's strength was too low, and he wasn't even qualified to be his opponent.

"Die."

Tang En decided to end Bak's life.

"Stop!"

As Tang En raised his longsword, a sharp voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned to see a bandit holding a dagger to Fiona's neck.

It was Fingerless.

"I said, stop!"

Fingerless shouted: "Or this noble lady of the Golden Rose family will die! If she dies, you won't live either!"

"Good job!"

Bak finally stopped the Giant Axe Whirlwind and saw Tang En behind him with a raised sword, breaking out in a cold sweat. Fingerless's actions had saved his life.

"Ha! Tang En, did you think I brought this noble lady here just to prevent her from escaping?"

Bak laughed maniacally: "She is a supervisor of the Noble Council. If she dies here, you won't be a lord for long!"

A supervisor of the Noble Council? I didn't know that.

Tang En looked puzzled.

"Bak! Are you not afraid I'll tear open the magic scroll!?"

Fiona's face was pale, holding up the scroll and praying silently that Tang En would understand her.

"Use it! Go ahead! A 4th-level spell, Flame Storm, can kill everyone!"

Bak laughed maniacally: "There are so many people from Ellington here, and you, the noble lady, and a lord. With you as sacrifices, my life is worth it!"

Fiona was stunned, not knowing what to do, and looked at Tang En for help.