Chapter 5: Intruders

Luo De packed his gear at top speed.

Steel sword.

Spare steel sword.

Spare spare steel sword.

Leather armor.

Magical potions.

Poison.

Lime.

Hand crossbow.

Black cloak made of hardened cowhide.

After changing into an outfit utterly unlike his usual attire, Luo De’s entire demeanor transformed.

He mounted his horse, posture upright and commanding.

If before he had seemed like an ordinary, plain youth,

now he was a true rogue.

Aside from Aetheron’s Flash, Luo De had mastered all his other newly learned spiritual arts.

“Tally!”

Tally was fifth-rank.

Succubi are not skilled in combat, but they are not helpless.

“Five days. I want it whenever I ask for it.”

“Don’t come.”

“Two days!” Tally hurriedly said.

“Fine.”

She reverted to her true form and snuggled sweetly into Luo De’s arms.

“Vivian, please help us in secret.”

Treants can hide within trees; in a forest at night, they are masters of ambush.

Vivian nodded and vanished into the woods shortly after.

Not long after.

Luo De rode into the edge of Bai Yu District.

Flames soared into the sky.

The air reeked of burning trees.

“That’s where the Shi Ying Town pasture used to be.”

Near the pasture, a white-walled house burned amid the flames.

This was the area closest to Shi Ying Town—trees weren’t the only things burning; even the outer houses of Shi Ying Town had been caught in the blaze.

Daphne had vanished.

As the owner of Shi Ying Town, the Lord’s daughter.

Without doubt, most of Shi Ying Town’s personnel would be mobilized to search for her.

And precisely now, someone took advantage of the weakened defenses to strike.

You say it wasn’t intentional? I don’t believe you.

“Oilfire.”

Tally, nestled in his arms, watched the flames in the sky and spoke.

She said: “A fifth-rank spell. It can be cast even over water—a fire that clings and is hard to shake off.”

“Can you get rid of it?”

“My shapeshifting lets me shed a layer of skin to escape it.”

She lifted her head and nuzzled Luo De’s neck affectionately.

“But I can’t free anyone else.”

“If I get caught, don’t bother with me—kill them all first.”

“Okay~ Then I’ll get to taste what you smell like when you’re burning~”

“Don’t… don’t kill me.”

The man sat slumped on the ground, sweat pouring down in large beads.

His teeth chattered, his body trembling like a sieve.

Behind him, the flames roared stronger in the night wind.

No retreat possible.

Before him stood merely a short halfling.

A race he had always looked down upon when passing by—yet now, this creature filled him with primal fear.

From within the flames, four human men slowly stepped behind the halfling.

The halfling Ali swung his short sword, effortlessly slicing the man’s throat with a gust of air.

“Hand it over.”

Behind him, a human man in a hood swiftly seized an axe, splitting the corpse’s skull open to extract the brain.

“Boss, didn’t the priest tell us to burn the trees?”

Another bald human man asked.

The hooded man cursed: “You idiot, just setting the trees on fire is enough. Kill more people, take their brains—the cult will reward us.”

“But this is too loud. Shi Ying Town’s garrison will investigate.”

“Let them investigate. We hold this identity—we must bear the cult’s burdens.”

The bald man opened his mouth to speak again.

Ali cleared his throat.

“Correct. With Shi Ying Town’s garrison weakened, this is the perfect time to seize the Divine Peaches to please our Lord.”

In the Igo Cult, “Divine Peach” refers to brain matter; members may exchange a certain quantity for rewards.

Ali had previously borrowed credit to obtain a bottle of Soulfire Oil, which greatly enhanced his affinity for fire essence.

But before he could use it, his debt came due.

Reluctantly, Ali accepted the task of burning the Windwall Forest.

Half a month ago, he came to scout and created disturbances to test the defenses.

It took three full days before the forest rangers noticed.

Proof enough that the forest’s protection was weak.

“I heard the Kingdom’s interest in Windwall Forest has been declining yearly—didn’t expect it’s down to just one ranger, and a weakling at second-rank.”

Ali sneered.

“Second-rank? Hah! I could crush him with one hand.”

“They say the ranger keeps a succubus.”

“Then he’s dead. It’s been half a month—he’s probably rotten by now.”

“Hahahaha!”

The four men all laughed along with their boss.

Tap-tap—

Tap-tap—

Suddenly, hoofbeats came from afar.

“Alert!”

“Don’t worry—only one horse.”

“Shi Ying Town might have high-rank defenders. Don’t underestimate them.”

Hearing this, the men tensed up.

As the hoofbeats drew closer,

they saw a knight slowly rising over the hill.

The knight’s back faced the flames; the light did not illuminate his face.

Among the four humans, one was a middle-aged man with a single eye patch.

He lifted the patch—revealing an eagle’s eye.

“Hah! It’s the ranger.”

The tension instantly dissolved.

“What? Hahaha!”

“He’s riding because his legs are weak.”

“I bet—he’s got weak legs and a weak waist too.”

Even Ali smirked dismissively.

He never minded his men’s banter—he actually felt it fostered team spirit.

On the hill, the knight began his charge.

"I'll take care of it!"

The hooded man drew his curved blade.

"Place your bets within three strikes."

He laughed loudly and charged forward.

The opponent’s crossblade also flashed out midair.

To them, the motion looked clumsy and almost endearing.

But Ali’s smile froze.

"Watch out!"

He shouted a warning, but it was too late.

A head shot skyward.

Blood scattered like petals in midair.

The other three remained frozen, unable to react.

Wait—did we just see that right?

"Damn it!"

Ali roared and dashed forward.

His short sword slashed out a blade of air.

Luo De anticipated it, leaping off his horse and barely dodging.

Sssss—

A burst of lightning exploded from his right hand, surging along the steel blade, glowing blue.

Lightning Blade!

Horizontal slash!

Clang—

The half-human before him raised a translucent spherical spell barrier.

Though the sword didn’t wound him, it cracked a corner of the barrier.

"Fourth tier?!"

Ali was stunned.

He was certain this forest warden had been only second tier half a month ago.

Luo De grinned.

"There’s plenty you don’t know."

He aimed his left hand at Ali; a white spiritual force erupted violently.

Repel!

The Repel Spell was famed for its powerful impact—often devastating against spell barriers.

Boom!

As expected, the spell barrier shattered across its surface, barely holding together.

Ali’s face turned grim.

Fourth tier—apparently a close-combat warrior type, tough and stubborn.

As a fifth tier, he should easily win.

But such opponents took time to deal with.

Right now, they needed speed—time was their greatest enemy.

"Brothers, join me—"

Before he finished, he heard his subordinates scream behind him.

Ali turned his head.

He saw a dark-blue-skinned succubus using Transformation to become a two-and-a-half-meter-tall green-skinned female orc.

In her hand, a bone knife whirled with terrifying force.

His three subordinates recoiled in shock.

"You can command a succubus?!"

(End of Chapter)