Ye Chui stood before the remaining eight foes. On the map of his magic book, all eight glowed a vivid red, indicating hostility. Whether due to the events in the garden or the devil’s temptation, their enmity toward Ye Chui made them his enemies.
The group, three mages and five swordsmen, had been preparing to storm the Goddess’s Palace. Seeing Ye Chui approach, they glared at him venomously.
Ye Chui stopped in front of them, his gaze sweeping over the eight, then said calmly, “All eight of you, come at me together. I’m in a hurry.”
His mocking tone stunned them. This boy, awakened for less than a month, had shown remarkable abilities, yet any one of them should easily defeat him. And he dared challenge all eight at once?
One of the eight, a bald longsword swordsman, sneered, “Boy, I don’t know what gives you such confidence, but you’re too arrogant. This is an insult. Do you think I’m some novice who’s just picked up a sword?”
Ye Chui chuckled, wagging his finger, “No, I didn’t say you’re trash. I said everyone here is trash!”
“…”
His words clearly struck a nerve, igniting their fury.
“You’re courting death!” a female mage shouted.
The eight decided to act, determined to kill this insolent boy.
Ye Chui swiftly cast a spell, the elemental curse [Flame]. “Whoosh!” Flames erupted around him.
But with a hiss, a wave of water poured down, dousing the flames in a mist. The eight smirked mockingly. Did he really think such tactics could challenge them?
The bald swordsman swung his longsword, preparing a strike, but in the mist, the boy suddenly darted through their midst. Using the basic auxiliary curse [Wind Walk], his speed was startling and unexpected. Before the eight could react, Ye Chui had already dashed into a corridor beside the hall. Was he… escaping?
Ordinarily, their sense of honour, however slight, would prevent them from ganging up on a young mage. But under the devil’s influence, their tempers had grown more violent and extreme. Ye Chui’s taunts had drawn their full aggression, so without hesitation, they chased after him.
After pursuing him down the corridor, they reached a junction with three branching paths. Unsure which way Ye Chui had gone, they briefly conferred and split into three groups, two swordsmen and three mages, each taking a different corridor.
Their magic lanterns faded, plunging the corridors into darkness.
Moments later, a faint sound echoed at the junction.
If there had been light, one would have seen the bald swordsman, who had chased down the middle corridor with two others, creeping back.
He pressed himself against the wall, a cold smirk on his face in the darkness.
After entering the castle, they had met Tumu, who informed them that Ye Chui now wielded shadow magic and could perfectly conceal his presence. The bald swordsman was certain Ye Chui hadn’t fled down any of the three paths but was hiding here.
A cunning trick, but how could it fool him?
He was a powerful mercenary swordsman and an experienced hunter. Now, he was hunting, patiently waiting for his prey to reveal itself. Any slight sound would betray its location.
My prey, you’re about to fall into my grasp…
The bald swordsman, pressed against the wall, suppressed his presence, nearly blending into the darkness.
However…
Ye Chui, hiding in the shadows, stood right behind him.
Using shadow magic, Ye Chui had indeed concealed himself at the junction, planning to use the three paths to split the eight and defeat them individually. The bald swordsman’s return didn’t surprise him, as Tumu had likely revealed his shadow magic, and they all knew it. But they surely didn’t understand that Ye Chui’s abilities extended beyond shadow magic.
The bald swordsman’s supposedly stealthy move was utterly transparent to Ye Chui, who easily slipped behind him.
Basic attack curse [Spatial Blade].
The bald swordsman sensed danger and turned his head, but it was too late…
“First blood!” Ye Chui whispered.
Moments later, light returned to the dark corridor. The two swordsmen who had chased down the middle path with the bald swordsman returned, their magic lanterns illuminating the way. Aware of the bald swordsman’s plan, they were cautious, but seeing him slumped against the wall shocked them. His throat was slit, blood gushing and pooling on the floor.
Gripping their weapons, they scanned for any sound, cautiously approaching.
“There are footprints on the ground…” the swordsman with a hand crossbow noticed, quietly signalling his companion. “And blood drops. Looks like that kid Wade is injured and fled this way.”
He followed the footprints’ direction.
At a corner of the corridor, they soon found a figure slumped against the wall.
Without hesitation, the crossbow swordsman fired three bolts.
The other swordsman charged, his sharp sword aura ready to unleash a powerful strike. But he suddenly sensed something, pausing for a moment. The figure wasn’t Wade but Riken, the fire mage who had entered the ruins with them, his face ashen, clearly long dead.
Ye Chui’s cunning had placed Riken’s corpse here to divert their attention.
He realised this, but it was too late.
A soft sound came from behind, a thud, the sound of a head hitting the ground.
Then, a thump, as the crossbow swordsman’s body collapsed.
The swordsman halted his strike, spinning around. His wrist-mounted magic lantern lit up the space, revealing a ripple in the air.
[Spatial Blade]
An invisible, deadly blade struck his chest. The spatial blade’s power might not match fire or lightning, and his sword aura could have blocked it if he’d been prepared. But in this dim environment, it was as lethal as a viper.
The swordsman fell to his knees with a thud, a gaping wound in his chest, blood spraying. His raised sword never fell, and his body collapsed forward.
The magic lantern under his wrist still glowed, and in its dim light, Ye Chui’s figure emerged. He exhaled softly, confirming both swordsmen were dead, a strange feeling rising in him.
This was his first time killing in this world… yet he felt no panic or disgust. His nerves were indeed thick. These people meant to kill him, so he killed them. There was nothing wrong with that.
While tracking the remaining five’s positions, he approached Riken’s body and said, “Sorry, mate, for letting you get shot with arrows even after death. But you tried to kill me, so consider this repayment…”
He pulled the three bolts from Riken’s body, storing it back in the [Storage Space] of his iPad-like magic book.
Then, glancing at the magic book, he headed down the left corridor.
“Triple kill?!”
Yes, the essential voice-over narration couldn’t be forgotten.
