Chapter 171: Tactical Retreat
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 171: Tactical Retreat
"What the hell is that?!"
Watching Lorenzo get picked clean into a pile of bones in just a few minutes made Muen’s scalp prickle with intense dread.
Something was wrong. Time to bolt!
Without a moment’s hesitation, Muen turned and ran.
But in that same instant, he heard a heartbeat like a pounding war drum.
The monster wasn't particularly large; he was just tall and gaunt. It was hard to imagine such a rhythmic thrumming, like the heart of a massive magical beast, coming from a body like that.
But the more unnatural it was, the more dangerous it became.
Think about it: what would happen if you stuffed a Lamborghini engine into a beat-up Wuling van?
It would freaking fly!
With a thunderous boom, the bluestone pavement beneath the monster’s feet shattered!
The monster’s spindly silhouette transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting toward Muen like an arrow released from a bow.
He was practically skimming the ground as he flew!
"Dammit!"
Muen cursed under his breath, twisting his body with agile grace. He triggered Shadow Step, forcing himself to lurch several meters to the side.
Yet, the sense of impending doom in his mind didn't dissipate. The monster didn't slow down; instead, it lunged straight for... Muen’s shadow!
Muen shuddered. It felt as if a thousand popsicles had been shoved down his spine—a bone-chilling cold.
The image of Lorenzo’s gruesome end was still spinning in his head. Without hesitation, he twisted again, spun around, and crossed his twin blades, choosing to meet the monster’s strike head-on!
Boom!
The ground instantly cracked, spiderweb-like fissures spreading in every direction.
Muen’s legs buckled slightly, his muscles coiling tight. In that moment, he didn't feel like he was blocking a monster; he felt like he was trying to hold up a mountain!
"Motherfucker... this is ridiculous... with this kind of strength... why the hell are you hanging around the Lower District?"
Under the crushing pressure, Muen’s face contorted into a snarl. He strained his eyes, trying to discern what path this freak followed, but through that mask—which looked like it was stitched together from raw flesh—Muen saw only an endless, dead silence.
No joy.
No sorrow.
Like a dead man.
And yet, from those stagnant, pond-like eyes, Muen could see a very real, primal hunger for the flesh and blood of the living.
"An evil cultist?"
Muen suddenly understood what kind of "Lord" Lorenzo had been shouting about.
Aside from brain-dead idiots who had been completely deluded by cultists, who else would keep "The Lord, the Lord" on the tip of their tongue?
"Who do you serve? The Love God? The Moon? The Withered King?"
The monster didn't answer.
It made sense. Whether they were devout believers or simply poor souls corrupted by an Evil God, their brains were usually fried. They weren't exactly the conversational type.
"Get—OFF ME!"
Facing the monster’s ever-increasing strength, Muen suddenly let out a furious roar.
Veins bulged on the backs of his hands as he gripped Elizabeth. His arms didn't move, but a booming shockwave erupted from the hilts.
Then, following the line of the crossed short blades, it exploded!
The move that didn't require empty hands: Thunder Roar Modified!
Under the force of the powerful shockwave, the monster staggered back. Each step left a deep, clear footprint in the bluestone floor. After three steps, he stabilized himself.
What kind of freak is this?
Muen’s eyelids twitched.
The thing had taken a Thunder Roar Modified at point-blank range and only retreated three steps?
Muen had thought his physical body, tempered by the Mercury Well, was strong enough, but compared to this freak, it seemed he was still lacking!
It was a pity he couldn't just use the Withered King’s flames to incinerate him. While using Crimson Flame within a Domain wouldn't leak his aura, as long as the incineration wasn't absolute, it would definitely leave traces behind!
Using that power in Belland was still too risky; usually, he could only use it as a glorified health potion.
Since he couldn't win the fight, his only option was to run.
But...
Muen’s peripheral vision swept over his surroundings. On the empty street, the moon cast his shadow long and thin.
He could definitely run, but his shadow...
His Death Premonition began to hum again.
After a brief moment of rigidity, the monster resumed its movement. He gripped the blood-stained butcher’s cleaver and lunged at Muen once more.
The distance was too short, the target too large.
There was nowhere to run!
"Dammit, you think I'm afraid of you?"
Seeing his escape strategy fail, the fire in Muen’s heart—already stoked by a terrible mood—flared up again. He planted his feet, stowed Elizabeth away, and actually turned to charge at the monster bare-handed.
"Eat my ultimate move! Infinite Holy Light, From the Heavens to the Underworld, Ultimate Decisive Killing Heavenly Demon Palm!"
Muen’s sudden burst of bravery and his thunderous roar caused the monster to stiffen for a fraction of a second. He raised the butcher’s cleaver, shifting from an offensive stance to a defensive one.
In that exact moment, Muen’s "Infinite Holy Light, From the Heavens to the Underworld, Ultimate Decisive Killing Heavenly Demon Palm" arrived. From his palms, an infinite radiance erupted!
Ultimate move my ass! Eat my max-power Illumination Spell, you moron!
A blinding light descended, lighting up the entire street as if it were high noon.
Every shadow was momentarily banished.
The monster let out a piercing, high-pitched shriek. More than the loss of his offensive momentum, the most critical factor was that his eyes—perfectly adapted to the dark of night—were instantly struck blind by such intense light!
The monster went berserk, swinging the butcher’s cleaver wildly. His body charged about like a maddened bull, smashing through several walls.
But by the time the light completely faded and his vision returned, the wrecked street was already empty.
He’d run?
"Not... not tasty..."
The monster pulled another twisted shadow from his black raincoat and began to chew on it.
"Not tasty... not tasty... not tasty..."
He followed the moonlight, wandering off in a specific direction without the slightest hint of hesitation.
*
"Dammit, an evil cultist that strong is just wandering the streets in broad daylight? Are the Silencers of the Empire just drawing a paycheck for doing nothing?"
In a dark alleyway, Muen couldn't help but punch the wall.
What a mess!
First gangs, then evil cultists, and innocent people dying because of him—was he really just a human magnet for bad luck?
"No, I guess it’s like that saying."
Muen leaned against the wall and sat down, looking up at the bright moon.
"All the gifts of fate have their prices secretly marked. Especially for a yellow-haired villain like me, who is already loathed by fate itself."
You need to be more careful from now on, Muen Campbell. Anyone else can afford to be careless, anyone else can be arrogant, but not you.
"Let's get out of here first."
Muen used the wall to push himself up, preparing to leave.
But at that moment, he heard that heartbeat again.
"What?"
He looked up in horror. In the shadows not far away, the tall figure appeared once more, steadily approaching.
"Dammit, how did he find me?"
Could it be like Lorenzo? Had he used some kind of marking magic?
Muen pulled out Elizabeth and tapped the blades together. A faint arc of electricity pulsed around his body, clearing any potential marks, before he quickly ducked deeper into the shadows of the alley.
The monster passed the first intersection. He didn't hesitate; he kept going forward.
The monster passed the second intersection. He didn't hesitate; he kept going forward.
The monster passed the third intersection, and still... he kept going forward.
"Why?"
In the shadows, Muen’s eyes widened. It was as if the monster could pinpoint his exact location.
What do I do, what do I do? If he pins me down again, I won't get away so easily this time.
Just as Muen was panicking, he suddenly heard a sigh in the dark alley.
"Sigh, I really can't do anything with you."
A fair, slender arm suddenly reached out from the darkness, covering Muen’s mouth. At the same time, a fragrant breath brushed against his ear.
"Don't move."
Then, he was pulled into the pitch-black shadows.