Chapter 44: Ascension at the Scene

“Panni, tell me the weaknesses of orcs and mages.”

As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles—especially when both are sixth-rank.

From the previous battle, he learned that close-combat tanks like Luo De are easily countered by mages with diverse techniques.

In his fight with Panni, if not for his high poison resistance, he’d already be inside a ghoul’s belly.

As for the half-wolf Cassidy, not only is she endlessly kited by Luo De, but she’s also countered by [Ice Prison] and [Rotting Flesh Bone], rendering her self-healing useless.

“Orcs always have high resistances—my [Rotting Flesh Bone] probably won’t affect her much.”

“I’ll handle the orc. You and Tally take the mage.”

Tie up the tank protecting the mage, then let the assassins take down the backline mages—that’s the correct strategy!

“The shadow mage is a coward who fears death—he’s always standing in shadows, ready to slip into them at any moment. His body has little vitality, but he’s hard to deal with.”

Panni hesitated.

“Can spells like [Light] force him out?”

Luo De recalled an anime from Earth, where the second male lead repeatedly used flash bombs to counter a shadow-manipulating opponent.

“He’s too skilled in shadow magic—ordinary [Light] won’t work. Only [Radiance], with its holy dispel effect, might. But I’m a ghoul—I can’t learn such spells.”

“You’re useless,” Tally cursed.

Panni shrank her neck.

Living under someone else’s roof meant bowing her head—back then, facing Tally, a mere fifth-rank night elf, she’d have stood her ground.

But now Tally was her senior, and seemed close to her master—angering her would only lead to whispered complaints in her master’s ear.

Thinking of this,

the ghoul wanted to cry.

This night elf might be flat-chested, but her face was beautiful and her ass was firm—she’d surely be spending every night with her master.

And what about her?

Panni had been a widow raising children before death; since her husband’s passing and her transformation into a ghoul, she’d never felt that pleasure again—and to say she didn’t miss it was a lie.

But who would ever want to share intimacy with a ghoul?!

She looked at her master.

Hmm.

Tall, upright, handsome.

How she envied this vibrant body.

If only she could taste her master’s flesh…

As she thought this, the runes on her chest burned.

Panni snapped back to awareness, beads of sweat forming on her brow.

Close call—she’d almost slipped into her ghoul’s urges again.

On the other side, Luo De didn’t notice the ghoul’s thoughts.

Honestly, if it were just the orc, he could reuse his tactic against the half-wolf.

But with a sixth-rank mage added? He’d likely get crushed.

If the risk is this high,

he might as well abandon the witch and wait for reinforcements from Stormwind City.

“I can force him out of the shadows.”

Tally suddenly said.

“How?”

“But only if I ascend to sixth rank.”

Panni secretly rolled her eyes—what good is saying that now? You might as well say you’ll reach seventh rank and kill them all.

But Luo De understood Tally’s meaning.

The succubus needed essence to ascend—last few times, she’d tried it with Luo De in bed.

He could faintly sense Tally was just one step away from sixth rank.

“You mean now? There’s no place here.”

“There is. No one’s around.”

Tally pointed to a corner of the hillside.

“You’re sure you can ascend?” Luo De hesitated—in the wilds, he felt uneasy.

“One hundred percent. And the more you release, the less time I need.”

He turned to Panni.

“How long until they move the witch?”

“The shadow mage has her trapped in a cage—he must drain her magic completely before safe transport, so it won’t be quick,” the ghoul replied, though she didn’t understand why he asked.

“Then come on, Tally.”

“Alright.”

Tally was unusually serious now, not her usual playful self.

The two walked side by side toward the hillside corner.

Panni wanted to follow.

But Luo De stopped her.

“You don’t need to. Guard for us.”

“Yes, Master.”

Panni watched their backs.

A sour feeling rose in her chest.

She sighed at last—after all, he doesn’t trust me.

But moments later,

when the sounds of panting and flesh slamming against flesh drifted to her ears from the hillside corner,

the ghoul was stunned.

What is this?

So depraved?

And when Tally emerged, her face flushed, and the unmistakable aura of sixth rank radiated from her,

Panni was left speechless.

Could it be… that intimacy with her master increases spiritual accumulation??

Luo De decided to use his old tactic.

Tally transformed into the half-wolf Cassidy and lured him into the shadows.

Once close enough, they’d attempt to kill the shadow mage in one strike.

If that failed, they’d fall back to the original plan: tank vs. tank, assassins target the mages.

“Night elves can use transformation?”

Panni wondered, but dared not ask.

Dusk fell.

On the open battlefield,

fireworks bloomed across the sky above Shi Ying Town.

The more night fell, the more vibrant the Moonburn Festival became.

The shadow mage hid beneath the dense canopy of the Giant Locust Tree.

Watching the fireworks above, he felt only boredom and disgust.

His specialization in shadow magic had forced him to dwell in darkness for years—this isolation didn’t make him crave noise, but deepened his solitude.

“Hah, the bustling crowds, like dust stirred by sunlight—blindly fluttering, colliding, unaware of true power. They chase only fleeting pleasure and surface glitter—I’ve long surpassed such shallow pursuits.”

He silently sighed, sneering.

“Hahahahaha—”

Beside the massive dark cage, the female orc Amy burst into an inappropriate laugh.

She lay on a small mound, holding a copy of Snow Hill Evening News, reading the joke section.

Her cleaver served as her pillow beneath her head.

“I love this joke—hahaha—”

“. Hmph, foolish, stupid orc.”

The shadow mage cursed inwardly, daring not speak aloud.

The witch’s aura inside the dark cage had weakened significantly—he estimated she’d be drained in about an hour, ready for transport.

In truth, capturing her this way was the only option.

The witch’s mental resistance was extraordinarily high—among the highest on the continent.

Hypnosis and mind-affecting spells barely worked at all.

“Why hasn’t the half-wolf returned yet?”

He didn’t want to deal with this damn green-skinned orc—her body was all muscular knots, with not a trace of feminine grace.

Cassidy was different—she was the kind of woman with wild charm.

Though also just a bundle of muscles, he was still better than this damn female orc.

Just thinking about it.

Footsteps came from afar.

The Shadow Mage looked up and his eyes instantly brightened.

Ahead, the half-wolf Cassidi and the ghoul Pan Ni walked slowly toward him, backlit by the setting sun.

(End of Chapter)