---

Chapter 73: Ambush! A Surprise Attack?!

There was a shadow shrouded in black mist, like a malevolent spirit!

The brothers who had just been laughing and joking with Angus were either having their necks snapped or their faces smashed in, collapsing one by one at his feet!

He finally understood where the bloody smell in the air was coming from.

“You probably aren’t a match for Nia, but she doesn’t need disgusting guys like you for her adventures.”

Angus’s mouth hung open, unsure if he wanted to plead for mercy or yell in anger.

Unfortunately, Roy was not interested.

With a casual slash, a flash of cold light, and the head with wide, terrified eyes flew off.

————————

In the darkness, slender pointed ears trembled, and a pair of bright green eyes suddenly opened without warning.

The wind stirred, triggering Nia’s sensitive nerves.

This was not a good omen.

Nia hurriedly put on her clothes, grabbed her short sword, and darted out of the tent.

“Roy, did you hear…?”

But outside, all she found was the quietly burning campfire, with no sign of the familiar young boy.

Nia grew even more anxious.

She perked up her ears, activating her ability, [Wind Listening], to confirm that there were no suspicious presences nearby, though subtle disturbances could be heard in the distance.

Then, a figure ran out of the woods, and instinctively, Nia reached for her short sword until she saw it was one of Reid’s adventurers, causing her to stop.

The adventurer, no longer his usual easy-going self, looked serious: “Miss Nia, there’s a situation!”

“Wait, where’s Roy?”

The adventurer was taken aback by the question: “Isn’t that kid with you?”

As the two were arguing, a dazzling lightning bolt erupted from the south.

That was Reid’s extraordinary ability.

“That kid is pretty steady, he knows what to do. Let’s hurry to help the boss!” The adventurer said as he started moving.

An enemy attack?

Nia had no time to ask questions; she had to follow him south.

————————

A little earlier.

According to the plan, the vice-captain should have launched a feint from the north by now. But the distant ruins of the ancient castle were eerily quiet, peaceful as if in a serene dream.

The thieves lurking in the grass began to stir restlessly.

Standing atop a tree, a tall, lean man with his hands in his pockets frowned in impatience.

Something was off.

He knew his little brother all too well.

Angus was vindictive and rebellious, unlikely to obediently follow orders; instead, he would go after that scum who hurt him, but he would never completely ignore the mission.

If it wasn’t for dealing with that scum, he should have made his move by now.

Could something have gone wrong?

Thinking of that existence known as the [Sword Demon], Andy suddenly felt a deep unease wash over him.

“The plan has changed, move in directly.”

The thieves didn’t have nearly as many thoughts as Andy did; they were like bloodthirsty hyenas finally unleashed from their chains, becoming impatient to sneak towards the ruins of the castle as soon as they received their leader’s command.

Every thief, even those who weren’t extraordinary, were experts at stealth.

They had previously scouted the terrain.

The group of thieves effortlessly navigated through the dense underbrush, armed with daggers and short swords, deep into the ruins.

It wasn’t difficult to kill a group of unsuspecting adventurers who were already deep in slumber. After all, even extraordinary beings are as powerless as regular folks while asleep.

But just as they got close to the tents, everyone halted in their tracks.

“Something’s not right.”

“Right? How come there’s not a single guard?”

“This is just like an ambush…”

‘Swoosh!’

Before the leading thief could finish his sentence, a blinding flash of lightning sliced through the night, immediately followed by an explosive burst of chaotic lightning that erupted among the thieves.

The light-armored thieves, or even those in mere cloth, were torn apart under the lightning, crying out in despair.

After the lightning, fireballs, giant rocks, and arrows followed, crashing down on the thieves and inflicting severe losses, forcing them to retreat in shame.

With a lightning spear in hand, Reid finally emerged from the darkness, leading a group of adventurers.

Surveying the venomous-eyed thieves, Reid couldn’t hide his contempt.

“Of course, only you greedy hyenas would stoop to this disgusting tactic of a surprise attack!”

“But unfortunately, this trick won’t work today!”

Despite his disdainful words, Reid felt a chill of fear in his heart.

If it hadn’t been for that [Sword Demon] reminding him, they might have actually fallen into the hands of these thieves relying on their usual defenses!

The Academy City had seven underground factions, each self-contained, not under state supervision.

One of the worst of these was the infamous thieves’ group led by [Black Claw]!

The thieves were involved in much more than mere theft; swindling, kidnapping, and murder, they were guilty of all evils. They often targeted adventurers, taking action when adventurers were resting after completing their tasks, which every adventurer deeply loathed.

But thanks to the [Sword Demon], the roles of prey and hunter had successfully swapped, and in a head-on clash, Reid wasn’t afraid of a group that only knew how to play dirty tricks!

At that moment, Nia and another adventurer also rushed over.

“Who are these guys?” Nia asked, staring at the crowd of thieves, puzzled.

“A bunch of worthless bastards.”

“By the way, where did that kid go?” Reid couldn’t help but feel anxious seeing Roy was missing.

Upon hearing that Roy had disappeared, Reid could only reassure her: “He’s probably to the north. [Sword Demon] is watching over him, so he should be fine.”

“Right now, let’s deal with these bastards first.”

Nia, upon hearing this, shifted her focus to the enemies across from her; she needed to take care of them quickly so she could search for Roy afterward.

After the initial shock, the thieves soon turned their terror into rage.

“Don’t underestimate them!”

“Kill all these damn adventurers!”

“Today is your death day!”

Reid scoffed and laughed mockingly: “Come on, give it a shot!”

Both sides bared their deadly weapons, glaring with blood-red eyes, and lunged at each other.

The number of the thieves was nearly double that of the adventurers, while the number of extraordinary beings was nearly equal, which gave the thieves confidence.

However, once the fighting began, the thieves quickly lost their initial bravado.

They may have killed countless people and been more cunning and treacherous, but when it came to direct confrontation and life-and-death battles, the adventurers who were used to dancing with death held the upper hand.

Especially since there were two Sequence 8 members on the adventurers’ side.

Reid charged forward, lightning spear poised, unstoppable, and with a single thrust, he sent three thieves flying.

Seeing how the [Lightning Spear] was as fearsome as its name implied, several clever thieves decided to bypass him, targeting the girl on the other side.

Picking on soft targets was a tradition among thieves, especially since this girl had personal grievances with their vice-captain; capturing her would be quite the achievement.

“Oh no, how awful! So many people bullying a girl!”

Multiple thieves rushed in, and the green-haired girl let out a dramatic scream but danced through the swords and blades like a nimble nightingale, calm and composed.

“Damn it!”

“What are you dawdling for? Grab her!”

As the enraged thieves lost their cool, their movements became more chaotic. Just then, the girl’s gaze turned cold, and with a flash of her blade, she easily broke through their defenses.

A chilling sound sliced through the air.

The thieves whose throats were cut saw the last thing in their sight was that elegant face filled with disdain and mockery.

“Thieves’ group, is that all you’ve got?”

 

---