Chapter 162: Death Warrior
In the bushes lining a quiet mountain road, a pool of fresh blood stained the surrounding weeds.
Six assassins, dressed in black and wearing iron owl masks, stared indifferently at the corpse before them.
They hadn’t wanted any extra trouble. It was just unfortunate that this person, while carelessly relieving himself by the roadside, had stumbled upon them and brought death upon himself.
"Our position is compromised. Let’s move," the lead assassin said coldly.
But just as they were about to leave, the distinct sound of hoofbeats reached them from down the road.
"Wait!"
The men dropped back into a crouch, peering down the slope.
"The target’s here. Get ready!"
The six men, who had been about to relocate, froze. They all drew their longbows, preparing to fire.
Unexpectedly, however, the target reined in his horse halfway up the mountain, halting his advance.
The scent of blood on the mountain breeze was faint, but Duane’s keen nose still caught it.
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
WHOOSH!
Just as he was hesitating whether to proceed, several arrows shot through the air toward him.
’Assassins?’
’Am I the target?’
Duane reacted in a flash. He whipped out his Longsword and swept it forward, his Fighting Qi creating a powerful gust of wind that blocked all the Arrows.
"We’re too far. The Arrows don’t have enough power. Everyone, charge! Finish him as quickly as possible!"
The six assassins abandoned their ranged assault, drew their longswords, and leaped from the bushes, charging down the slope to kill.
The moment Duane saw their outfits, he confirmed his suspicion. They weren’t bandits.
To be precise, bandits couldn’t possibly operate this close to the Royal Capital.
These six were clearly assassins, and they were here for him.
’Who would want to assassinate me?’
The faces of several people flashed through Duane’s mind. They were all potential suspects, yet none had a compelling motive.
But this was no time for contemplation. The six men were charging with fierce intent, and he had to face them with his full strength.
"Kill!"
He kicked his horse’s flank. Though just a common warhorse, it was a warhorse nonetheless. Instead of panicking, it received its master’s command and charged forward at top speed.
Seeing that Duane wasn’t fleeing but was charging them on horseback, the six men were overjoyed.
"Die!"
The six swung their swords in unison. Six Fighting Qi Slashes merged into a single, powerful wave of energy that blasted toward Duane.
’These assassins...’
Duane’s expression turned grim.
’Judging by the power of their Fighting Qi Slashes, these six are at least Advanced Warriors.’
Facing six such assassins at once, the pressure on Duane mounted instantly.
"Breaking Army Slash!"
The enemy’s strength surpassed his expectations; he had no choice but to use his strongest Combat Technique.
Breaking Army Slash was a finishing move created by condensing a massive amount of Fighting Qi, making it inherently powerful.
Duane had also trained with it to the Mastery Level. Now that he could perfectly control his Fighting Qi, its power was even greater.
The Fighting Qi in his Qi Sea surged, condensing around his Storm Greatsword to form a massive, blinding Light Saber.
Duane swung his Longsword. The Fighting Qi Light Saber swept forward with the force of an avalanche, crashing against the assassins’ combined attack.
A deafening roar echoed in all directions as the shockwave blasted a massive crater into the ground.
In the midst of it all, the Breaking Army Slash surged forth, carrying a violent gale.
Duane’s strike not only shattered the six men’s combined attack but also sent them staggering backward.
The tremendous boom and shockwave brought Duane’s warhorse to a halt, and it let out a panicked neigh.
’I have to use this chance to take a few of them out!’
He leaped from his horse, bent his knees, and then launched himself into the air, pouncing like an eagle on two assassins who had just regained their balance.
Though shocked, their training kicked in. They quickly steadied themselves, raising their longswords to thrust upward.
Duane forcefully shattered their two-sword combo. As he landed, the Fighting Qi around him erupted outward!
This was the Combat Technique, Bursting Impact.
In that instant, a powerful shockwave radiated from him, striking the two men like a sledgehammer.
They flew backward, screaming in pain.
Using Swift Step, Duane appeared like a phantom behind one of the recoiling assassins and severed his neck with a single slash.
A head flew through the air, spraying a fountain of blood.
’One down.’
It all sounds complex, but it happened in the span of a single exchange.
The assassins had never expected this. Their plan was supposed to be a smooth, clean assassination.
"The intel’s bad! He’s at least an Earth Tier Warrior! Kill him, no matter the cost!"
The lead assassin’s cold voice rang out as he charged at Duane, with another assassin right behind him in support.
As the melee began, Duane felt immense Strength coming from his opponent’s Longsword.
This was a level of Strength far beyond what an Advanced Warrior could wield.
’Two Human Tier Warriors. They really are taking me seriously!’
The information he’d let slip to the public was that he was an Advanced Warrior, yet this assassination team included two Human Tier warriors, with four others as backup.
"Who sent you?"
His Spirit Sword Skill made Duane’s attacks incredibly sharp. Even while facing two Human Tier Warriors at once, he easily gained the upper hand.
RIP!
The blade tore through the enemy’s leather clothes, opening a bloody gash. The assassin hissed in pain but ignored the wound and lunged again.
THUNK!
The Storm Greatsword pierced the man’s shoulder blade. Incredibly, he grabbed the blade with his bare hand while stabbing at Duane with the sword in his other.
’This guy!’
Duane’s expression changed. He quickly executed a Vortex Slash, the powerful rotation knocking back the two men attacking him.
He could clearly sense that these men were different from ordinary assassins. They fought with a complete disregard for their own lives.
"Die!"
Just then, the other three assassins charged at Duane.
’These three must be at the Advanced Warrior level.’
Their coordinated attack was riddled with flaws.
Duane sidestepped the first Sword, kicked that enemy away, then slammed a fist into the second man’s stomach, sending him reeling.
As the third man closed in, the Storm Greatsword, radiating a cold killing intent, pierced through his abdomen.
But as he tried to withdraw the sword, the man spread his arms, as if trying to embrace him.
"Die!"
His tone was one of grim acceptance, a strange smile playing on his lips.
The hairs on Duane’s neck stood up. He sensed immense danger. Abandoning his Longsword, he immediately leaped back.
At that exact moment, a blinding light erupted from the man’s chest.
BOOM!
Duane felt his ears ringing as a massive shockwave engulfed him, slamming him into the ground.
"Die!"
"Die!"
As if inspired by their comrade, the other two Advanced Warriors fearlessly tossed aside their longswords and rushed toward Duane.
They spread their arms wide, like moths drawn to a flame.
’What the fuck is this?!’
Duane had just gotten to his feet when he saw the enemy was already upon him. With no time to think, he could only leap away again.
BOOM!
The assassin’s chest erupted in another blinding flash, and the shockwave slammed into Duane once more.
It was only then that Duane realized—these weren’t assassins, they were Death Warriors.
They had no intention of leaving here alive!
’There’s still one more!’
Duane fought for control as he was sent flying. He stabilized himself as quickly as possible, instantly forming a Fighting Qi Armor around his body before leaping away again.
BOOM!
But in his haste, he was still caught by the third explosion.
His Fighting Qi Armor was torn apart by the shockwave. He was sent flying backward, the qi and blood in his chest roiling, and he spat out a mouthful of hot blood.
"He’s injured! Let’s go!"
"A sixteen-year-old Earth Tier Warrior... he’s destined to become one of the Pruck Kingdom’s greatest powerhouses. To die taking someone like him with us is worth it!"
Duane crashed into a tree. The close-range explosions had left his ears nearly deaf.
But he knew the real assassination wasn’t over.
The two Human Tier Warriors were the real threat!
’Those two must be killed, but... do they also have explosives on them?’
The dust and smoke in front of Duane settled, and his vision cleared.
’Where are they?’
His heart skipped a beat. With a grim expression, he scanned his surroundings, searching for any trace of them.