Chapter 569: Closing the Door and Pinching Tight

The female hero, Grey, acted decisively without hesitation, flinging the weaker half-centaur, Kira, backward.

She roared at Tally:

"Take her and leave first!"

Having spoken,

she hurled a metal sphere.

The ferocious, massive steel spear in her hand swung and struck, instantly exploding with a vast cloud of magical smoke that once again shrouded the dissipating gunpowder fumes.

Meanwhile, crimson energy erupted around her, and distinct red lines flowed across her silver battle armor.

Her strength surged.

Boom! A small crater blasted into the ground.

At the same time,

a emerald-green straight-bladed dagger spun through the air, circling to the side of the spell formation.

She had not abandoned Mr. Rod.

With a single lunge, she charged into the massive smoke cloud kicked up by the giant thunder dragon, accompanied by wild energy currents.

The dust carried a scent of burning and the unique chill of magic.

Then, Grey saw a blackened impact crater, with a few scraps of clothing remaining.

Such a massive amount of magical energy.

Such power amplification from a multi-person coordination.

Even an eighth-ranker would not have survived intact under such conditions.

Although she had known Mr. Rod, a desolate feeling still rose in her heart at this moment.

She had seen this situation many times on the battlefield.

Under the absurd destructive power of a legendary spell, even leaving a corpse behind was a luxury.

She quickly picked up a small, charred piece of fabric.

At least something remained; handing it over to Young Lady Tally would count as an explanation.

The situation was urgent.

Grey did not intend to stay long; the magical smoke would not last much longer.

"Sigh."

She let out a light sigh, turned her head, and suddenly erupted with power from her legs.

The power eruption failed.

Turning her head, she collided with a solid chest.

There was no time to be stunned.

An inexplicable faint fragrance drifted into her nose; the scent clearly carried a man's heat, yet it was clean and mysterious.

Grey's legs went soft in an instant.

Her skull felt as if struck by something, like a feather teasing her nerves.

She nearly rolled her eyes back.

But her powerful will quickly brought her to her senses, and in shock, she prepared to burst backward.

A large hand instantly gripped her shoulder.

"It's me."

Hearing the familiar voice, Grey paused in confusion.

Looking closely, she realized it was actually Rod.

She saw his upper clothing burned away, revealing a body of naturally flowing, yet explosively powerful, knotted muscles.

The gold and silver twin swords hanging at his waist were untouched by dust.

Although he had clearly changed his pants on the lower half.

Let alone being injured.

Not even a scratch on his skin.

His handsome face, possessing a rugged masculine temperament, showed no change in expression, and his hairstyle had hardly changed at all.

"You're actually unharmed?!"

"You seem disappointed."

"What nonsense! Such jokes are not allowed on the battlefield!"

She scolded coldly, but immediately realized this was not a real battlefield and wore an apologetic expression.

"Sorry, I'm used to it; I didn't allow my soldiers to say such things before."

"It's fine. Hmm? What are you holding my underwear scraps for?"

Rod looked at her with a strange expression.

In fact, all his clothes had been blown off completely.

But his time-management operations over these two months had greatly increased his speed in changing pants, allowing him to appear relatively presentable.

"I must tell you, my interest in humans is actually not very great."

Rod stepped back, gently shielding his bare chest.

Grey's heroic face twitched.

She quickly and stiffly spread her five fingers wide, to make that piece of fabric leave her hand faster.

"Enough nonsense, let's go quickly!"

"No need to rush. Bahadur is just waiting for someone to come to the door; the instant we approached, he began using spells to seal off the mountain peak, not even a fly could fly out."

"... You knew all along?"

Grey frowned deeply.

Rod smiled.

【Insight Demon Pupil】 flickered past.

"They wanted to help me close the door, I had no reason to refuse."

"What?"

Hmm—

On the platform in midair came another grating screech of magical friction.

Then a strong wind rose up, blowing away the dust-laden magical smoke along with it.

Grey's expression turned heavy as she looked at the unmoving formation of mages on the three-meter-high platform.

Blue magic gathered above their heads into intricate, mysterious patterns, covering most of the sky.

A transparent dome formed of magical barriers.

Seven-colored defensive walls of magic arranged in a honeycomb pattern.

The mountain mist swirling around also made it impossible to see their exact position.

At once, the pressure felt like a mountain range bearing down on one's shoulders.

"It's you? Rod!?"

The president of the Image Society, Seamus, let out a startled, suspicious voice.

He had clearly seen Rod.

It seemed he knew there was an intruder, but not what the intruder looked like.

Rod stepped forward past Grey.

He laughed: "The removal of 【Soul-Cursing Shadow】 must have cost quite a bit, no? How come the main body came out to do odd jobs."

When Seamus had used his puppet to infiltrate Shi Ying Town last time.

He had been nailed with the 【Soul-Cursing Shadow】 spell by Rod and Lady Kali working together.

Not only could it pinpoint his location, it could also corrode his life force.

What a pity.

That spell had been dispelled a month ago.

Just as expected.

The moment this was mentioned.

Seamus's expression immediately darkened.

"Reckless fools. Capture these people alive. They came following the mercenaries' trail, so they must be connected to that place as well."

It seemed he had released all those mercenaries not only to search for the cat-fae, but also with the intention of drawing out the snake from its hole.

A seventh-tier beside him frowned: "The 【Flame Thunder Slash】 just now had no effect. And you said his name is Rod—surely not that Rod from the Dusk Hills, right?"

"So what if he is."

"Don't tell me you don't know the news from two months ago about this man slaying two dragons through trickery and forcing a Hell Archduke to retreat."

Seamus gave a cold laugh: "Just rumors."

"The last time I saw him was five months ago, and back then he hadn't even reached seventh-tier. Are you saying that just over two months later he could repel a ninth-tier? Do you believe it or not?!"

Another seventh-tier was more pragmatic and careful.

He said: "【Flame Thunder Slash】 had no effect. Judged as a defensive-type with extreme resistance. Tactical countermeasure squad, prepare 【Glass Conversion】."

Rod noticed Grey beside him looking at him with surprise and suspicion.

Ignoring the chanting voices rising in midair.

He drew the Body Sword dedicated by the poster girl while laughing: "It's all those bards' fault for the overpraise."

"..."

The slime Blackie's 【Black Gold Adhesion】 quickly dyed the steel sword black-gold.

Rod walked over unhurriedly.

Meeting the gradually swelling magic head-on.

The casual expression on his face never changed.

"I'm coming now, clench up tight—oh, I mean you mages, clench up your concentration."

No one responded to his cold and lewd joke.

Except Tally.

She called out coquettishly from behind:

"Master~~ Tally has clenched up tight~~"

"Hahaha—"

Ting-a-ling-ling!

As Rod gradually drew closer, a piercing magical bell-like sound rang out.

The mist formed by illusion-type spells rapidly thickened, and extended out over a hundred pale-blue tentacles.

Rod took a sharp breath, his chest swelling like a bellows.

The next instant, he suddenly erupted with a deafening roar.

"Scatter!"

【Purifying Dragon's Roar】!

The sound waves became visible ripples, and the mist and tentacles evaporated in an instant.

(Chapter End)