Chapter 18: Artifact Liberation!

Mei Li's urgent call rang in his ear.

Su Ya also realized the urgency of the situation,

The worst scenario they feared—killing the two Scout Chi would draw the Scout Chi captain's pursuit—finally happened!

The enemy was, in Mei Li's words, a professional‑grade assassin,

Su Ya had no concrete notion of the term, but from what he saw so far the opponent's skill was so refined that the two Scout Chi he had previously slain seemed like different people.

In just one encounter he not only was nearly stabbed to death, but also lost his weapon,

Facing such a terrifying opponent,

what could he do!?

His thoughts whirled rapidly in his mind, but before Su Ya could act,

behind him,

the thunderous hooves rattling the ground came like a sharp whistle—

Like a straight black line, a black warhorse slammed into the side of the warhorse Su Ya and his companion had just dismounted from!

Facing the black horse charging at nearly a hundred kilometres per hour, Mei Li's brown warhorse was instantly overturned, and the hoof, scraping Su Ya's half‑crouched head, flung him far away; he landed like a dislocated doll, the hooves tried to bend and struggle several times, then gradually gave out and died.

Su Ya's mind went blank in an instant.

Meanwhile,

the short spear thrust toward Su Ya's throat was yanked back sharply, its shaft blocking the magical petal aimed at his face.

Bang!

Crack!

The spear's shaft snapped cleanly in two!

"Hurry! What are you dazing about!!"

Mei Li yanked Su Ya's back of the neck, pulling the dazed Su Ya up; her magenta eyes stared straight into his, her teeth clenched slightly,

"Just one step away!"

"Just one step away, and we can leave here, embracing the life of our dreams!"

"Don't make me stop here!"

"Use the magic you inherited, the treasure you just obtained, any means you have—"

"Weren't you the one who let me use you!?"

"Then stand up for me!"

"Su Ya—"

"Fight!"

The red‑haired, sinister man, Xiugusu, squinted slightly, his gaze scanning the ground and surroundings before settling on the bunch of white roses Su Ya held, his nostrils flaring a bit,

"Oh~, so there's another magician!"

"Then let's kill together"

He spread his hands, glanced at the broken short spear, stepped forward, grasped the two spear halves, assuming a pose with both arms raised and legs slightly bent, then spun, swinging his arms aloft!

The broken spear halves were successively launched by Xiugusu!

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Su Ya's pupils contracted sharply.

However, at that moment,

Su Ya felt the strand of silvery white hair he had been gripping in his left hand slip from his palm,

then,

"Unblemished Fantasy Spell, activate!"

A cold chant rang out!

A white rose blossomed in Mei Li's palm, shattered, instantly turning into sixteen petals that spread around her, encircling her body,

"Camphion Flower Protection Technique!"

As Mei Li crossed her slender ten fingers, pressed her thumbs together, spread her pinkies upward, forming a hand seal, her fair palm pressed forward,

the protective petals shot out instantly like blades!

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

After expending eight petals, the two incoming short spears were finally deflected.

However, at this point,

Xiugusu had already drawn the curved dagger at his waist, his steps touching the ground, his form flickering like a phantom as he swiftly approached,

During this, Mei Li continuously directed petals toward the opponent,

However,

under the opponent's very strange footwork, the launched petals hit at less than ten percent accuracy.

Each time Xiugusu swung his dagger, he precisely sliced a petal, stripping it of magic and causing it to fall.

The petals beside Mei Li lasted less than half a minute before only six remained.

At this moment,

Su Ya finally regained his senses.

Such a sudden, merciless battle that offers no mercy nor preparation time is hard for him, who was abruptly shifted from peaceful modern life to here, to adapt to,

But fortunately, in this process Su Ya did gain something.

He instinctively observed, analyzed, calculated—

Mei Li has already used suggestion magic once, illusion magic once, and now this time should be the flower magic she spoke of,

Her remaining ability is to cast enhancement magic once more.

That is to say, before the remaining six petals are exhausted, she must take over the battle herself and face this professional-level assassin.

And Su Ya currently has lost his weapon, and also does not understand how to use the magic and treasure tool Mei Li spoke of,

But,

This world is just like that,

Crises and accidents won't wait until you're fully prepared before they come knocking!

So, what should be done now is——

Su Ya rolled toward the left, to the position where his sword had been flung!

While rolling to dodge the horizontal slash that Gu Si Xiu threw at him, he got up and sprinted, shouting loudly:

"Mei Li, how am I supposed to use the magic and treasure tool you spoke of!?"

Mei Li glanced, slightly startled, at Su Ya sprinting toward where his sword had fallen; she couldn't understand why, as a direct descendant of the royal family, Su Ya didn't even know this most basic common sense,

But she immediately replied:

"That thing is just like an organ!"

"Do you ask how to use your hands and feet? Just like trying to lift your hand, use your brain to issue commands to your magic and treasure tool!"

At that moment, Xiu Gu Si coldly raised his eyebrows, discovering Su Ya's intention.

"Want to take back your sword?"

His gaze turned cold,

Although theoretically, the greater threat before him should be this pitifully weak magician; judging by the level of magic she casts, her professional rank is even higher than his,

But, having lost her battlefield position and prepared magical tools, such a magician on this open plain facing a professional adept at close combat is nothing short of a lamb to the slaughter.

And compared to the magician, Su Ya, who killed his two subordinates and escaped from the midst of tens of thousands of troops using deceit, appears even more threatening to him!

Even though he isn't even a professional!

Having reached this thought,

Xiu Gu Si immediately turned his body, spinning twice, stepping with an eerie footwork to dodge the two petal bullets Mei Li fired to restrain him,

He bent his legs, leapt forward headfirst in a front flip, like a fish, weaving through the barrage of six petal bullets and landing steadily,

Then, with an almost imperceptible tap of his toes on the ground, his whole body suddenly surged forward in a near‑gliding posture, rapidly closing in on Su Ya!

Then he saw——

The little brat he had been chasing suddenly turned around!

Moreover,

At some point, that yellow‑haired brat's hand now held a silver‑white lasso adorned with rose patterns!

He instinctively slipped the lasso around his own neck, then pulled hard backward, causing the blood vessels in his neck to bulge prominently!

Then,

"Leave the rest to me!"

Su Ya bared his teeth, glaring fixedly at the assassin about to rush forward and slash him to death, giving him a mocking‑like smile and crooking his finger,

"Come on, assassin!!"

(End of chapter)