Chapter Fifty-Six: The Battle Ends, the Adventure Begins
The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became tense and awkward. Whether it was a matter of pride or survival, everyone who could see understood that this was a question of whether Zhao Nan would accept or not.
He stood among the crowd, and they had all ceased their actions, nervous and uncertain. This mage was even more terrifying than the female swordswoman—like a fortress erected right in the midst of their own formation, bristling with artillery.
Zhao Nan squinted and exhaled softly, his mana rapidly recovering. Of course, the opposition was unaware that, despite his impressive recovery rate and the help of restoration potions, his mana had already bottomed out from the high-frequency use of his skills.
Wang Wei clenched his jaws, though two of his front teeth were missing, making it uncomfortable. He furrowed his brows and said, “How about we negotiate peacefully?”
His voice was not loud, but it required tremendous courage to utter.
Zhao Nan snorted with a laugh, nodded, and planted his staff on the ground, his demeanor relaxing. He sighed, seemingly pleased to witness this shift.
Wang Wei’s eyes brightened with hope, and he quickly said, “This time it’s our fault, please—****!”
Suddenly, a vast stretch of muddy ground appeared ahead. Those before and behind Zhao Nan were instantly trapped in the earth, afflicted with a slowing debuff.
Zhao Nan greedily drew in the air around him, launching into a new round of rapid movement, weaving among the crowd. He lamented that the Scepter of Sighs could not only cast spells but also smash enemies; in desperation, it could even self-destruct.
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Ximen Yu suddenly broke into a quiet chuckle, as if witnessing an amusing scene from a film. He squinted, watching with genuine pleasure.
Those around him had no idea what he found amusing, so Brother Wolf asked, “Young Master?”
“Wang Wei’s plan was actually quite good, but after being seen through, don’t you find it hilarious?”
Is it truly funny? Brother Wolf frowned. He couldn’t see the humor, only feeling that the battle had become exceedingly intense and one-sided. It wasn’t the imbalance of many versus few, but rather the few suppressing the many in strength.
This unnatural imbalance... Brother Wolf wiped away a cold sweat. If that mage erupted by his side, would he be able to withstand it?
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Brother Wolf didn’t know if he could withstand it, as he had never fought such an opponent. But he understood clearly that Wang Wei could not. As Ximen Yu had said, once his scheme was exposed, Zhao Nan would not grant him any time to pause.
No matter how eloquently Wang Wei promised or pleaded, he would not win enough time for his group to wait out their skill cooldowns.
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Both sides were exhausting themselves—health, mana, even their mindset.
No one could persist in battle indefinitely, so a halftime break to reorganize the offensive was vitally important. Even in the NBA, they would use foul tactics to drag a minute or so into ten or twenty, plus free throw time. Now, stabbing a knife in the gut couldn’t be done without resorting to every possible trick, could it?
No one here was particularly close, and the animosity was only growing!
“Charge, charge, crush them!”
There were still many members of “Blood Shadow.” After several rounds of combat, the two full teams could now barely muster one. Thirty people strode and sprinted forward, the mages and archers fired up and ready for blood.
This full-throttle charge suited their style. Wang Wei sucked his lips and spat fiercely, determined to win—otherwise, leaving this dungeon would stain his reputation worse than a sewer rat.
The scene became lively again.
A whistling arrow skimmed past Zhao Nan, but his eyelashes didn’t even tremble. His legs were taut and straight, his hands moved swiftly and rhythmically, casting small fireballs one after another. Each fireball shot through the crowd ahead and struck the archers behind.
Finina drew her sword once again to intercept the enemy. She and Zhao Nan stood in a straight line, so every skill aimed at Zhao Nan had to pass through her sword’s defense.
Gao Mingyang quietly wiped his brow, darting along the edges to fend off enemies coming from both flanks. Their group wasn’t particularly strong, but their tenacity made them difficult to shake off.
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The third round of combat began suddenly; it had only been a few dozen seconds since Wang Wei’s “****.”
And it ended just as swiftly.
“You are a devil.”
Wang Wei clutched at his chest, a longsword embedded there, twisting violently. His heart must have been shredded; he coughed blood in great mouthfuls and finally collapsed beneath Finina’s blade.
He was the last one remaining—the final member of “Blood Shadow” to enter the dungeon this time.
Finina swung her sword forcefully, tracing an arc that swept away all traces of blood before sheathed it. Her long lashes blinked from behind her mask, matching her footsteps as she walked toward Zhao Nan, then finally turned to look at the safe zone.
Even before Wang Wei fell, Zhao Nan had been watching that spot.
He was looking at Ximen Yu, who was also watching him. Their gazes had long since become intertwined. Zhao Nan could not see through Ximen Yu, nor could Ximen Yu see through Zhao Nan.
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Both unreadable gazes held their own thoughts. Ximen Yu quickly tilted his head, gestured toward the space behind Zhao Nan, and silently clapped, as if in encouragement.
Many others looked toward Zhao Nan, and at the entire group from “World’s End.” This small squad of eight had just enacted a classic victory—few triumphing over many.
Gao Mingyang suddenly cursed loudly, his voice both booming and agitated. He was wounded, blood leaking from his arm and thigh.
Gao Xiang, Xu Feng, and he himself were all in rough shape. Not only did they have to look after Zhao Nan, but also Xu Fei the priest, Xu Yang the sage, and Jiang Lun the young mage.
“Mingyang, what’s gotten into you now?” Xu Fei began demonstrating healing spells for the wounded.
The milky white glow brought comfort; Gao Mingyang’s cheeks flushed with health, and he cursed again, venting his frustration: “What a bunch of idiots. When we were about to leave the guild, everyone rushed like they were trying to reincarnate—now that we’ve won, they flood my inbox, either regretting or admitting they were blind. How can I not curse!”
His words were like a broadcast. Xu Fei and the others knew that Gao Mingyang could never keep a secret; he was blunt and impulsive, yet so foolish it was almost endearing.
Inside the safe zone, some people truly were at a loss, smiling awkwardly as all eyes settled into one corner.
A dozen or so people stood there, faces grim and heads bowed. Just ten minutes earlier, they had been members of the “World’s End” guild.
“We’re leaving.”
Zhao Nan finally broke gaze with Ximen Yu, flexing his stiff shoulders. He pointed ahead, urging his group forward, his staff spinning lightly in his hand.
Ximen Yu said nothing. The “Purgatory” members watched as Gao Mingyang and his crew receded into the distance, knowing Zhao Nan was facing his group, retreating step by step until the shadows ahead swallowed their sight. Only then did Ximen Yu stand, twisting his neck.
He glanced toward the “Guardian Knights,” meeting Nan Yangsheng’s gaze, and casually said, “I’ll go ahead.”
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PS: The editor says that a child who doesn’t ask for recommendations and favorites isn’t a good child. I say, actually, those who ask for tips are truly exemplary students...
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