Chapter 299 296: Plans

Chapter 299 296: Plans

System Notification:

You have eliminated the "Shadowed Blade Apparition" – mere specters of the true assassins.

EXP Gained: 0.

Val's eyes narrowed, absorbing the system's message. These were only shadows? How surprising. But it also made sense. No wonder they were so weak.

"That should've drained quite a bit of your reserves," came a taunting voice. "It will be easier to defeat you now."

Emerging from the shadows, Clea appeared, flanked by a group of formidable-looking individuals. A confident smirk played on his face, echoed by similar expressions on the faces of his associates.

The shadow assassins were evidently deployed to exhaust Val and deplete his soul power reserves. Clea and his group seemed quite satisfied, assuming that their strategy had succeeded.

'Foolish,' Val thought, chuckling inwardly at their presumption. Their approach might've worked on a novice, but Val was not a low-level wizard. He was a mid-rank wizard, and his soul power pool exceeded that of his peers because his arcane heart was extremely stronger than what it should be, and his core... It was of a superior grade.

They were ignorant about his true level. Val decided then and there to ensure that their underestimation would become their downfall!

"I know what you're thinking," Val said coolly, "but you're mistaken. That barely scratched the surface. I will be honest. You're against a being you can't hope to defeat. I will give you a chance to run away. Of course, Clea and that man with the eyeglasses has to stay behind and accept their death."

Oliver glanced sideways. Bro, is it really okay to be so haughty?

Humans often struggle with discerning truth from lies.

It was like hearing a fantastical tale; even if the story were true, its incredibility would make it appear false.

Similarly, Clea and his group misinterpreted Val's genuine statement as a mere bluff, their beliefs clouded by ignorance and underestimation of his truth power level, which was already comparable to a level 6 bloodline warrior or a peak-level mid-rank wizard.

"This is the shittiest act I've seen this year, but surprisingly it's funny!"

Clear pointed at Val and started laughing.

The other assassin remained silent, but it was evident from the odd stares they were giving Val that they thought he had gone crazy.

Val was speaking like he was a god who could determine their life and death with the toss of a coin, causing them to believe that he had a mental breakdown since death seemed inevitable. And thus they just couldn't take him seriously.

Clea's right-hand man found his behavior quite odd. But he attributed it to desperation.

He thought that when a man was desperate, he would do anything to survive. As Val also seemed to be in a desperate situation, it looked like he was acting so arrogantly to bluff them into retreating.

'His acting is really bad. How can two people fight off several assassins, especially when one of them has exhausted a majority of his soul power to deal with the Shadowed Blade Apparition? Only a fool would fall for his terrible act,' thought Ron.

"Do you take us for kids?! No one is buying it!"

Seeing their dismissive expressions, Val couldn't help but smirk. "Why don't you come and see if I'm bluffing?"

In his mind, Val was preparing a straightforward strategy. He would bait them into going all out in their attack. Once they attacked with all they had, they would be left defenseless for only a moment, but that moment was enough for Val's plan to take them down in one full sweep to work. He stood silently as a smile of anticipation made its way to his face.

Clea laughed heartily, "You spoke my mind." Raising a hand, he gestured to the wizards in his group. "Finish them."

Their standoff had reached its climax. The tension was hard to ignore. Both sides knew that the next moves would determine their fates.

Following Clea's command, a pulsating, sinister energy emanated from the dark wizards, casting a foreboding ambiance over the meadow. The once-calm atmosphere became thick and heavy, as if a malevolent force threatened to suffocate everything in its path.

Oliver suddenly stepped in between Val and the incoming attacks. His voice carried an unyielding determination as he spoke, "I won't let my family be harmed!"

With that, he summoned forth a wave of his own soul power, pushing back against the oppressive energy unleashed by the dark wizards.

Val looked at Oliver, and said as a matter of factly, "You don't need to do this."

But it was mistaken for care and concern.

Oliver felt touched and responded, his voice filled with resolve, "It's time I did something that mattered. Don't stop me." n)-o..V/-e/)l..B/-I.-n

Val hesitated, weighing the situation. Letting Oliver take action could be beneficial for the young man's growth. Moreover, it would help him hide the truth about his evil bloodline for a while longer. So he let him do whatever he was up to.

Respecting Oliver's wishes for multiple reasons, Val didn't intervene in the clash that was going on.

Meanwhile, with unmatched determination, Oliver countered the relentless onslaught of the dark wizards' soul radiation, drawing from his reserves until there was nothing left.

As the last of his energy faded, a searing pain surged through him—

a result of recklessly wielding wizardry. Darkness crept into his vision, and Oliver crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

With the protective barrier of Oliver's soul power gone, the menacing energy from the dark wizards raced towards Val and the fallen Oliver, promising certain doom for both of them.

But then, in a dramatic turn of events, Val calmly took a step forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Oliver.

The dark wizards, assuming victory, wore smug expressions. They already seemed to see Val being crushed by their malevolent force followed by Oliver.

However, their arrogance soon gave way to astonishment.

Val summoned a shroud of darkness, which effortlessly absorbed the soul radiation.

Bam!

The sound of a drum being beaten rang out as the hostile energy crashed against Val's protective shroud, causing it to flutter momentarily like fragile leaves caught in a gust, yet leaving Val and Oliver completely unscathed.

The dark wizards exchanged disbelieving glances, their faces painted with shock.

"What sorcery is this?" one exclaimed. "Our combined power... was it just absorbed?"

Another voiced his realization, "To have survived that... He's at least a peak mid-rank shadow wizard! We've been deceived! He isn't a prey we can hunt. He is a predator!"

Panic settled in.

"We should retreat!" one wizard urgently whispered, only to be silenced by a piercing glare from Clea.

Val felt happy to see that they'd realized the truth. Things would become much easier if the canon fodder went away. He would kill Clea and Rom first. Then he would take his sweet time eradicating all the evidence. It's not like they could actually run away. After all, there was no other way out of the lesser dimension except for shattering its core! They were trapped in this place with him!

However, his joy lasted only for a brief moment. Before the retreat suggestion could gain traction, Clea struck down the very wizard who'd suggested it, killing him in cold blood.

This terrified the remaining assassin into stillness.

With cold fury in his eyes, Clea proclaimed, "Any who dare retreat will meet their end by my hand! He's just one mid-rank wizard. What do we have to fear? I too am a mid-rank wizard!"

Intimidated by Clea's show of power and his threat, the dark wizards hesitated no more.

Despite their initial shock, they regrouped, preparing to follow Clea's command, even though doubt clouded their minds.

Tsk! Val clicked his tongue, his expression a blend of annoyance and defiance.

"Follow my lead," Clea ordered, his voice ringing with authority. Electricity arced around him, transforming him into a bolt of pure energy. He lunged towards Val and Oliver with unparalleled speed. Almost simultaneously, Ron teleported, materializing behind the duo with an aura of deadly intent. In a fraction of a second, Clea hurled a thunderbolt, while Ron, with fist clenched, aimed a crushing punch straight for Oliver's head. The double assault, especially from such proximity, seemed absolutely inescapable.

In that dire moment, Val activated Blood Rush. An innate ability that pushed his agility to an astonishing 120. The world around him seemed to warp; events played out as if time itself had slowed, granting him a surreal advantage. It wasn't that the world had truly slowed, but his enhanced perception and agility allowed him to process and react to threats at a hyper-accelerated rate.

With fluid motion, Val scooped Oliver into his arms, and before the deadly combination of thunder and fist could make contact, he darted out of their attack radius.

Clea and Ron were left dumbstruck, their attacks connecting with nothing but air. They looked up, scanning the vicinity, and spotted Val standing at a distance, Oliver safely in his arms.

"Don't let him escape!" Clea barked at the other dark wizards, his frustration evident.

Responding to his command, the dark wizards unleashed waves of soul power towards Val. Yet, Val's heightened agility enabled him to dodge their distant assaults effortlessly as he sprinted away from the meadow.

However, the dark wizards weren't amateurs. They predicted his escape routes and targeted those areas with their attacks, attempting to corner him. But Val was no longer in a mood to be chased.

"Since they're so eager to embrace death, I might as well grant their wish," Val mused silently, his eyes flashing with glints of cruelty.