Chapter 55: The Siege
Chapter 55: The Siege
It had been several days since Karl last visited the Black City.
"Uncle."
Inside the base, Aya's expression was forlorn, and she forced a faint smile.
"You're here."
"It's a shame about Hausman," Karl said.
"But everyone has their time, some sooner than others. You need to accept it and live your life to the fullest."
"Mhm." Aya nodded, her eyes still filled with sorrow, and spoke softly.
"Old Lev is dead too."
"What?" Karl showed surprise.
"What happened?"
"Eve took back her family's spell seal, and Old Lev, being old, lost his vitality as the seal left his body." Aya explained.
"He... couldn't make it in the end."
"Actually, the spell seal on Old Lev's body had already been transferred several times, and it's unclear if it's even usable anymore. Eve was too hasty!"
A spell seal cannot be transferred indefinitely; each transfer leaves a trace of the host's essence, and after multiple transfers, it loses its effectiveness.
The number of transfers before it becomes ineffective varies depending on the seal and the host, so there is no fixed limit.
It was evident that Aya held a significant grudge against Eve.
"What about you?"
Karl asked, "Did the spell seal fuse successfully?"
"No."
Aya's face fell.
"Xiaonan didn't either, but the Mute succeeded."
'Mute' was a member of their team, a small, silent man who wasn't actually mute.
Karl glanced at him, and Mute offered a somewhat unnatural smile.
It seemed that whether or not one could fuse with a spell seal was a matter of luck, just like having wizard talent.
Some are born with it, and some aren't, and it has little to do with intelligence, appearance, or constitution.
"The spell seal we obtained is called Shadow, and it's unique to the Shadow Alliance."
Aya introduced, "This seal allows one to remain undetected in the dark and provides a certain boost to strength at night, making one's vision almost as good as during the day."
"In emergencies, it can also briefly etherealize the body to evade attacks."
"Not bad." Karl praised, indicating that since this matter involved secrets, the fact that Aya was willing to share it showed mutual trust.
"There's one more thing." Aya looked up, her eyes complex.
"There's a powerful member in the Shadow Alliance called Blood Stinger, who wields a thin sword that can devour others' blood."
"The person you killed the other day was probably him."
"Blood Stinger?" Karl raised an eyebrow.
"Do you mean I've offended the Shadow Alliance?"
"Mhm." Aya nodded.
"Blood Stinger holds a high position in the Shadow Alliance, but he's a very eccentric person and isn't well-liked within the alliance. So, it's unlikely someone will seek revenge on you."
Despite his eccentric and cruel nature, the Shadow Alliance tolerated Blood Stinger due to his formidable strength.
According to Aya, Blood Stinger's power ranked within the top five in the Shadow Alliance.
Perhaps even the top three!
He was among the elite, just below the knights, and a top-notch powerhouse in the entire Black City.
And yet...
He had died at Karl's hands.
Aya knew Karl was strong, but she never imagined he was this powerful, and her gaze towards him changed involuntarily.
Surprise!
Excitement!
...
"I understand." Karl's expression remained unchanged as he spoke calmly.
"Are we going out today?"
"Yes!"
Aya nodded firmly.
"I still have many debts to repay."
"Big sister." 'Mute' spoke up.
"It's my debt."
With the spell seal on his body, it was only natural for him to repay the debt.
...
As they walked through the ruins, Karl looked up and gazed into the distance, saying, "Today, the Black City seems quieter than usual."
Usually, there would be traces of Half-Dead creatures nearby.
"Mhm."
Aya nodded.
"A group of mercenaries from outside came a couple of days ago, and among them was a Holy Knight, who killed many Half-Dead creatures.
The area near the market is now free of Aberrations.
"Merc" Karl spoke, "Are they safe?"
"This..." Aya hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Old Lev once said that mercenaries only have eyes for money. For money, they'll do anything."
"Unless it's absolutely necessary, it's best not to deal with them."
"I understand," Karl nodded. "Stay away if we encounter them."
"Hmm?"
His voice paused. The enhanced danger perception from the Poison Wolf Breath Technique made Karl's heart alert, and his body hair stood on end.
"Be careful!"
He warned in a low voice, his figure flashing and dashing several meters diagonally.
"Crack!"
An arrow shot down from the sky, piercing the stone floor exactly where Karl had stood a moment ago.
"Hiss..."
The sound of breaking air came.
"Whoosh!"
The arrows, as long as arms, fell like a sudden rain, easily piercing through earth walls with their terrifying force.
"Be careful!"
"Quick, take cover!"
Aya shouted, flipping to shield Xiaonan, who raised his wooden shield just in time.
"Thud!"
With a muffled sound, Xiaonan grunted and retreated several steps, his face showing a look of horror.
His wooden shield, made of copper wood and reinforced with iron, was extremely sturdy.
Now,
An arrow had directly pierced through the wooden shield, the tremendous force making his arm numb and his body retreating repeatedly.
"Clank..."
K arlashed with his broad sword, knocking away the incoming arrows, and looked up in the direction they came from.
The arrows fell like rain, but they weren't fired simultaneously. Instead, they came one after another, their momentum and density creating the illusion of an arrow rain.
So...
"Is it just one person?"
If one archer could suppress so many, the archer must be formidable.
Fortunately, most of the arrows were aimed at Karl, and the others only suffered the collateral effects.
"Take cover."
Karl said, "I'll go check."
As his voice fell, he dashed out, lightly tapping the wall and rushing in the direction the arrows came from.
Eagle Step! Blazing Wind sword technique!
His constitution, comparable to a knight's, made his speed match that of a tiger, and he easily deflected the incoming arrows with his sword technique.
In just a few days,
Karl had undergone a tremendous transformation.
Now, facing the thrusting sword, even if the opponent had the advantage of blood replenishment, he could still easily slay them.
In the distance.
On the roof,
Mei's face was grave: "He's here!"
"Be careful, this person is very powerful. Even with my arrows, they hardly affect him."
"Boom!"
The ground shook nearby as a bald, over two meters tall man emerged from underground.
The giant was wrapped in thick chains, the ends of which were attached to a human-sized iron ball covered in spikes.
The iron ball hit the ground with a dull thud.
"Capable of killing Redhair and Iron Fist, he's definitely not weak."
The giant squinted his eyes, his gaze fixed on the approaching figure, a smirk on his face, "But..."
"Four against one, he's dead today!"
"Ragnar." In the corner, the rats squeaked, and the rat woman in their midst spoke softly, "Don't be overconfident."
"I know!"
Ragnar grinned, and the ground under his feet exploded, launching him into the air, hurtling towards Karl.
In mid-air, he roared furiously, his arm exerting strength, the large iron ball whizzing through the air.
"Die!"
In front.
Karl, who had just deflected the arrows, his eyes narrowed, and he leaped from the wall, sword raised to slash.
(End of Chapter)
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