Chương 49: Crimson Bloom

"I'm thinking of a story." Drake's voice suddenly rose.

"After Rhode's Squad, Marcus's Squad also met their end in the Mist-veiled Caverns, butchered into pieces by those ugly goblins."

"And my team just happened to pass by."

"So, out of kindness, we collected your corpses and dealt with those goblins as well…"

"How does that sound?" The members behind Drake all revealed greedy, cruel smiles. This was a business worth fifty or sixty gold coins… Getting a little blood on their hands for that much money wasn't a big deal, right?

"You're really living in a fantasy world." Vaelis coldly retorted.

"Hah. Another half-breed." Drake grinned.

"Think having a little elven blood makes you noble?"

"I already gave you and that little mage a chance back then."

"But unfortunately, you chose to walk straight into your own graves." Zelier's expression darkened. Damn it… They really were planning to get serious. There wasn't another soul around. Even if they killed them here, there would be no witnesses. And his own team had just finished a brutal battle. Everyone's stamina was already depleted. If a fight broke out now… The situation was extremely unfavorable. The atmosphere in the forest clearing tightened instantly, as if invisible blades were spreading through the air.

Marcus slowly raised his shield. Grey and Gark tightened their grips around their sword and axe respectively. Vaelis's hand moved toward his quiver. Just as Zelier was about to make a move, a furious shout came from the other side.

"Hey, little mage! Don't move your hands! Stay right there!" The two rangers in Drake's team reacted instantly. They raised their bows and nocked arrows, their sharp arrowheads locking directly onto Zelier. Zelier's eyelid twitched. Vaelis refused to be intimidated. He immediately drew an arrow as well, aiming straight at one of the ranger's foreheads.

"Shing! Shing! Shing!" Several sharp metallic sounds rang out. Weapons were drawn on both sides. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The situation deteriorated in an instant.

"Keep your eyes on that mage." Drake's voice was vicious.

"If he moves even slightly, shoot him dead!" Who knew what kind of magic that kid could unleash? It was better to be careful. Damn it… Zelier cursed inwardly and stopped moving. Why are they all staring at me? Whenever he charged a spell, he still couldn't completely hide his expression. Not to mention the faint mana fluctuations around him. Anyone paying close enough attention could easily notice something was wrong.

"I suggest you reconsider this, Drake." Marcus warned in a deep voice.

"Leave now, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened…"

"Do you really think you're qualified to say that to me?" Drake's greed and cruelty didn't fade in the slightest. His eyes swept across everyone one by one. Useless Marcus. The orc-blooded freak. The blonde womanizer. The elven half-breed. The little mage. And one more… Drake's expression suddenly froze. Wait… Where was that female assassin? He was sure he had seen her earlier.

"Looking for me?" A lazy female voice suddenly drifted from behind them. Drake and his teammates snapped their heads around. A dagger was pressed against Richie's throat. The sudden touch of cold steel made Richie's eyes widen. Cold sweat instantly covered his face. He didn't dare move even a fraction. Cyr slowly emerged from the shadows behind him, her voice calm yet dangerous.

"I'm right here." Damn it! Seeing this, Drake's heart sank. When had she slipped behind their formation? How had none of them noticed?

"Captain… calm down…"

"Please, you have to stay calm!" Richie begged nervously.

"Don't do anything reckless!" He could feel it. The cold blade had already broken through his skin. And it was slowly sinking deeper. Soon, Richie wouldn't even have the ability to make a sound. The slightest movement of his vocal cords… And the dagger would plunge straight through. Cyr calmly scanned the battlefield, her eyes delivering a naked threat. Useless trash!!! Drake cursed furiously inside. They were both assassins. How could his own assassin get captured before the enemy's? Absolutely worthless!

Richie was suffering just as much. He had already locked onto the mage and was preparing to sneak in for a killing strike. But the moment that thought appeared… The enemy assassin's dagger was already against his throat. When did she get here? Why hadn't he heard anything? For an assassin, this was the ultimate humiliation. It meant the difference between their skills was on completely different levels. Meanwhile, the members of Marcus's Squad were instantly energized. Beautiful!

Cyr had seized control of the battlefield first. As expected of a Mid-tier Assassin. A true specialist in close-quarters PvP combat! Zelier was already cheering for her internally.

"Are you really sure you want to fight?" Marcus took advantage of the situation and applied more pressure.

"Think carefully before you make your decision, Drake." Drake's expression shifted between anger and hesitation. He looked at Cyr. Then at Marcus. His mind kept wavering. If they started fighting now, one of his people would immediately be taken out. The risk was simply too great… Finally, Drake gritted his teeth and spat out the words unwillingly.

"Fine. You win this time."

"Let's go!" Marcus's team secretly relaxed. On Drake's side, the two rangers aiming at Zelier slowly lowered their bows. However… At that moment.

"Pfft." A crimson flower suddenly bloomed from Richie's throat. He clutched his neck and collapsed onto the ground, convulsing. But his hands couldn't stop the fountain of blood pouring out. The grass beneath him quickly turned red. Everyone froze. Time itself seemed to stop. Cyr… She actually did it? She killed Richie?! Nobody expected Cyr to simply cut his throat without hesitation. But there was no time to think about it anymore. After a brief moment of silence, both sides reacted instantly.

The balance had already been shattered. There was only one choice left.

"Attack!!!" Marcus and Drake shouted at the exact same time. The instant Cyr killed Richie, she didn't even spare his corpse a glance. She was already moving toward her next target. Her flexible body lowered. Like a venomous snake gliding across the ground, she shot forward at terrifying speed. Her target— The rangers ahead. The two rangers instinctively drew their bows again. But under such rushed circumstances, they had no time to aim properly. They could only fire toward Zelier based on instinct.

"Gah!" Zelier was knocked backward and fell onto the ground with a cry of pain. Almost at the same moment— A much more violent sound of tearing air erupted. Even without being empowered by Aura, Vaelis's arrows still possessed killing power far beyond ordinary attacks. A streak of green light flashed. It arrived after the enemy arrows… Yet struck first. It slammed directly into one ranger's head.

"Boom!" The ranger's skull exploded like a crushed watermelon. Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere. The other ranger suffered the same fate. A spray of blood erupted from his throat. The blade pierced straight through his neck. Cyr had stabbed him from behind.

"KILL THEM!!!" Drake's team consisted of one Vanguard, one Assassin, two Swordsmen, and two Rangers.