Chapter 188: Crossroads (10)
Chaos spread like wildfire among the populace. The smoke and dust from the fallen Valkurtis eventually engulfed the market and the street.
The sudden loudness and disturbance frightened merchants who were bargaining over pricing. Customers who had been bartering quickly grabbed their goods and fled. The merchants’ cries of “Thief!” were drowned out by screams and shouts from others.
Russell and his companions remained motionless on the avenue, gazing up at the smoke-filled structure. Scared individuals dashed by them, pushing against and racing behind.
Russell’s will caused a surge in magical power, which spread in all directions. An alarming movement was observed among the uncountable people running like scared mice.
It was impossible to miss the line of people sprinting with their hoods turned inside out, three or four to a group.
“Russell.”
“I see them.”
Calia also saw what Russell had discovered. They stayed motionless, watching the series of groups rush towards Valkurtis.
“An ambush?”
“For what?”
“The slave sale takes place on the 15th of each month. It is hardly a coincidence that the ambush occurred today. It is not a coincidence that the site is Valkurtis.”
“We’ll have to ask if we want to know.”
Russell’s party’s gazes focused on him as he spoke. Then, realizing he was no longer present, they exchanged puzzled looks.
Scilio blinked blankly. She could not trust her senses. She hadn’t even realized that the person next to her had vanished just moments before.
“Get used to it. You’ll feel it frequently in the future.”
Scilio fixed her gaze on the sweet, beautiful voice. Calia, having regained her calm, walked forward. Scilio followed her and asked
“I guessed it when I saw you treat my younger brother so casually, but are you wizards?”
“I am; however, I am not sure if that man can be considered a magician. He isn’t interested in the world or the truth.”
“There are also combat wizards.”
Calia grinned at Scilio, who was talking about war machines that had only mastered one or two spells since childhood.
“There are such occupations. But Russell isn’t that type of person.”
“Then?”
“You’ll gradually get to know him.”
Russell, who had split from the group, recalled the information his senses were sending him. Five groups approached the main gate of Valkurtis. Each group was comprised of three to five people and approached in a fan formation. And one of the groups came to a stop just in front of Russell.
Russell and the four hooded men faced off in the street, which was littered with overturned bowls, smashed fruits, broken pottery, and baskets. Russell raised a hand. Except for the chaotic street scene, people fleeing in the distance, and flames rising someplace, he appeared to be greeting a friend. He said:
“I have a question.”
The four did not appear to want to answer. They raced toward Russell, lips shut. Each of the four attackers drew weapons from inside their clothing.
With a fluid swish, four long blades struck at Russell’s torso. Russell’s eyes twitched.
From the four’s point of view, Russell’s movements felt mysterious. All they could feel was that a gust of wind, like a gale, blew and that they had dropped their swords.
Russell, who was holding four blades in one hand, gazed at them and the swords alternately before tightening his grip.
Clang!
Swords screamed as they bent. The swords, whether made of soft iron or not, are bent like chopsticks rather than breaking. Russell, who had immediately reduced the four deadly swords to scrap metal, dropped them to the ground.
The clinking of metal against the ground echoed.
“I have something to ask.”
Russell asked again. The four heads that had fled after losing their swords gradually turned towards Russell. At that point, a voice was heard.
“Are you Count Jayvir’s collaborator?”
Russell tilted his head. The voice appeared to be coming from all four of them.
“No.”
“Then get out of our way. Our purpose is to kill him.”
“Turner? Who is that?”
“The master of this body.”
The phrase ‘master of this body’ also indicated that the person speaking now was not the master of the body. That is, unless they had an unusual way of speaking in the third person. Russell folded his arms.
“Do you usually say who you’re going to kill so openly?”
Turner did not speak. The four of them then raised their hands simultaneously and removed the hoods that were covering their heads.
Russell frowned at the image, which he had been observing but couldn’t quite understand. Four young people with identical faces stood there. Were they quadruplets? Even if they were quadruplets, they couldn’t have looked more identical.
Russell used his magical abilities to peek inside his eyes. The outcome was startling. Even Russell, who could see the flow of magical force, noticed that the four’s magical power was identical. They stood as if they were four, yet there was just one. Turner’s expression became angry. It was similar to the expression of a hunting hound that had become enraged because it had not properly carried out its master’s orders.
“We kill those who hinder us.”
“You’re strange.”
Along with the murmured remarks that yielded no response, Turner, who now possessed four bodies, surged towards Russell. Russell recognized they were superhumans who dealt with magical power after seeing it spread like wildfire and blanket his body.
The bizarre thing was that no magical force moved through their bodies. As if they were getting divine strength from a god, their magical power emanated from an unknown source and was emitted beyond their bodies. Russell’s lips curled upward, showing his sharp canine fangs.
“I prefer this method too.”
Russell’s upper body was struck four times in a single blow. Russell, however, did not collapse. Turner trembled just before kicking for the fifth time. Russell got too close.
Russell received a kick laced with magical force, but it lacked power due to his lack of distance. Russell classified the person who kicked him as Turner 1.
Turner 1’s world fell into darkness.
Russell’s left hand had grasped Turner 1’s head. He clenched his teeth and seized Russell’s left hand, attempting to tear it off, but Russell’s hand did not move. Russell buried his fingers into Turner 1’s head.
“Kuaaah!”
Turner 1 felt the pain, but everybody cried out. Russell grinned as he observed the others’ painful expressions, despite the fact that they had not been hurt.
“Is that how it is?”
Turner 1’s body was swung like a whip and struck the ground. Russell had held back, so Turner 1’s skull and neck bones were not crushed. However, this did not imply that Turner 1 could move.
“You bastard!”
The remaining Turners 2, 3, and 4 surged toward Russell. Like divine force, magical power streamed into their bodies from an unknown direction, providing them with incredible strength and speed.
It was a joke to incapacitate one Turner, but they were not frail. Rather, they were nearly as powerful as Weizen.
Their punches and kicks were all directed at Russell in seamless motions, with almost little loss of strength. It was undoubtedly a movement that had spent years practicing and mastering assassination techniques.
“Haap!”
Turner 2 pounded his leg on the ground, shouting.
Kwaaaang!
The magical force on his leg transformed into a strong shockwave that impacted Russell. Because the shockwave’s direction was concentrated in one place and it flew in a straight path, there was a lengthy, straight trace from the spot where Turner 2’s foot had hit to Russell’s location.
Russell shook his body amid the white dust. Despite the shock, Russell had no wounds on his body.
Nonetheless, Turner 2, 3, and 4 ran towards Russell without hesitation. Behind their mindless deeds, there was something other than their own will mixed into their blind actions.
Russell swung his arm while keeping the information from his senses in the back of his head. Turner 4’s neck was then seized in Russell’s grasp, as if he had anticipated his appearance.
“Gasp!”
Turner 4 struggled for air. The earth, which he couldn’t reach with his toes, terrified him. Turner 4 moved his hands swiftly out of terror.
Shhh!
Two daggers that had been crossed in his back were brought out at the same time, aiming at Russell’s eyes.
“Good try.”
Boom!
Russell’s fist smashed into Turner 4’s side. Turner 4’s face, disfigured by the anguish, jerked oddly. His eyes were wide open, as were his lips, showing his Adam’s apple. Drool splashed.
Kwaang!
Russell turned his fist and knocked Turner 4 to the ground instead of blowing him away.
Kwaang!
“Keuk!”
Turner 4, or any of the Turners with numbers on them, grumbled. He was not broken anywhere, yet he was unable to move. Russell’s magical force, which had hit inside his body, prevented him from doing so.
Turners 2 and 3 rushed in. However, it was difficult to defeat an opponent who had not been able to acquire an advantage even after four attacks. Turner should have considered fleeing more.
Russell, who had rendered all three Turners unable to fight, move, or speak, glanced at the last one. Turner’s shaking eyes matched Russell’s burning purple eyes.
Russell felt as if his body had been pulled into Turner’s pupils for a brief instant. It was an illusion. It was his consciousness that had been drawn in.
Russell discovered something translucent and foggy in the black space.
‘Thread?’
“What is this?”
Russell raised his head in response to the abrupt voice. A giant stood there. The giant was a woman, and she was panicked. Her outstretched hands were joined by innumerable transparent strands that projected a white light.
Russell quickly recognized that this was a mental space governed by awareness. Russell’s physique expanded as soon as he recognized what was happening.
“Oh no!”
As Russell’s consciousness swelled, the enormous woman swung her hands, sensing something assaulting her. The threads intertwined in her hands tightened and flew toward Russell, binding him up. Russell raised his head as he examined the threads that connected him.
“Wizard. This is the first time I’ve seen someone approach it in such detail.”
“How did you get here━”
The woman, who was struggling to continue speaking in a panic, realized everything when she saw Russell’s shining, magical eyes.
“A magic eye user! And such a powerful one. . . You’re the man named Russell!”
“And you are a mind-controller. Your name is Giselle. Your goal is to stalemate the frontline and double-cross the prince.”
“Ugh!”
In the space where only consciousness remained, Russell swiftly read the other person’s information. Even if he couldn’t decipher the deep unconsciousness of the mind, he could figure out her goals by analyzing the images left in this place with his eyes.
Giselle, a witch, also realized it.
“Why are you in Brasilt?! No, now is not the time!”
“Yes, this is not the time.”
Thud, thud!
The magical power threads that had connected Russell shattered under his strength.
“Where are you?”
Giselle’s look was fraught with dread and fear. Russell had grown far larger than Giselle’s physique. As Giselle glanced up at him, a shadow fell across her body. Despite the fact that it was a dark room with no light,.
Russell hadn’t realized it, but the way he appeared in Giselle’s eyes was not human. A formless ripple, like a burning flame, wrapped around his entire body like a phantom, and a purple light flickered in his eye sockets.
Giselle’s mouth twitched automatically, filled with unimaginable fear and horror.
“Aldrick’s army.”
“Precisely.”
“An army was gathered by the lords of each region who were induced to swear allegiance to him.”
“What’s the situation?”
“They are stuck on the Ferger Plains and have suffered consecutive defeats as a result of the assassination rampage and the deaths of several commanders. The princess’ strategy.”
At that moment, Giselle’s hand moved first, smashing her own head with her fingertips.
Russell had little time to restrain her quick reaction. As Russell watched, Giselle’s consciousness, which had been lost, dispersed into the dust.
To break free from the bondage through fainting. She was a witch with a lot of power. At the same time, the witch’s mental sphere disintegrated, bringing Russell back to reality.
Russell used his magical strength to perceive his surroundings, feeling the return of his body’s five senses that he had forgotten. Turner stared blankly at the sky. His outward appearance lacked individuality.
Russell ended the life of those who had been mentally bound by the witch’s spell. Russell rose from his seat and proceeded towards Valkurtis, where the hubbub had not yet diminished.
The gatekeeper left the Valkurtis gate unmanned. It appeared that the vanguard had already entered. Russell strode inside, passing by the gatekeeper, who had been utterly drained of vitality and had become a mummy.
There were still many people under the witch’s power. Screams and the sound of steel colliding could be heard faintly from inside. Russell went in without hesitation.
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