Chương 93: The Return of Garrick Vane

"A cultist!" Murderous intent flashed in Kyle's eyes. The two of them locked eyes for a second, then the cultist turned back, disappearing into the alley. Kyle kicked away a goblin and then beheaded another before turning to look at his teammates.

"Rowan, Barrett. The commander ran away, so the defense line won't hold out for much longer," he hurriedly said. Rowan and Barrett, startled, turned to look at Matthias. They were just in time to see him and his followers disappear at the corner of the street.

"That fucking bastard!" Their faces turned livid.

"Most of the people in the southern district should have been evacuated. You should either head back to the wall to regroup with the main forces or head to the defensive lines between the southern and central districts." Kyle added, beheading another goblin.

"What about you?" Rowan asked. He didn't seem intent on coming with them, judging from his tone.

"I have something to do." He rushed towards the alley the cultist disappeared into.

"Gah!" A goblin suddenly jumped up from the side, its eyes bloodshot, and its tongue was sticking out of its mouth. It was holding a dagger it snatched from who knew where, swinging it at him with a bloodthirsty expression.

"Out of the way!" Kyle's right arm muscles bulged. Mana looped between his arm and heart at an increasingly startling speed. Just as the goblin rose to its highest, Kyle swung his sword from top to bottom. [Superspeed Slash] The sword cut through the goblin's body like butter. The silver edge left a trail behind.

"Zzznn." Kyle flicked his wrist, the impact instantly separating the two halves of the goblin, sending them flying, allowing Kyle to pass in between without reducing his speed. Just as he entered the alley, he caught sight of the cultist's cape briefly fluttering before disappearing at the other end of the alley. Kyle didn't waste time. He jumped over the rubble on the way and tapped the left wall with his toes, jumping straight to the other end of the alley.

"Stop!" Kyle shouted as he chased the cultist. However, the hooded cultist didn't even pause. He weaved through alleys, rushing in the opposite direction of the ritual point, moving closer to remote areas.

'He's fast, and he seems extremely familiar with the confusing alleys of the southern district.' Kyle frowned. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

'Still, he couldn't be anything more than a Thrall. A deacon won't appear in this corner and certainly wouldn't run like this.' Kyle had learned about the general structure of most cults through Selene back in the haunted house. Thralls were the lowest-ranking official members of the Old Imperial Cult. They were mostly rank 1 professionals. The guys he had seen back at the underground space beneath the haunted house were nothing but level 2 or level 3. Kyle was very confident in taking them down head-on.

'Still, I need to prepare.' During the chase, he pulled out a mana potion from his pouch and drank it. Feeling the mana surging in his mana core, Kyle's muscles bulged, accelerating even further. Soon enough, he caught up with the cultist. He jumped up a half-collapsed house and somersaulted, landing right in front of the cultist. Kyle unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the cultist.

"I'll give you two choices. Either you obediently come with me, or I'll break your limbs and take you away. What's your choice?" Kyle said sternly. He had no tolerance for cultists. If it weren't for finding a way to break the ritual, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill this cultist right here. The cultist fell silent; his red eyes beneath the shadows on his hood shone as they looked straight at him. Kyle didn't know if he was wrong, but he felt that those eyes were radiating excitement.

'Is he mentally unstable? Are all cultists like this?' Kyle wondered. The cultist started visibly shaking. Finally…

"HAHAHAHAHA!!!" He broke into earth-shaking laughter. Kyle frowned. He contemplated whether to just strike. This guy didn't look mentally stable. At last, the cultist stopped laughing. He raised his hand and slowly lowered his hood.

"You're…" Kyle's eyes widened.

"I've been looking forward to this day. I've finally met you. Kyle Vaelthorn." The man's red hair fluttered as the wind blew through it.

"Garrick Vane!" Kyle shouted. His muscles tensed as he vigilantly looked at the man before him.

"Yes." Garrick grinned. He pulled his robe and threw it aside. He was wearing leather armor lined with steel plates. A one-handed sword hung on his waist. However, most shocking was that his left arm was nonexistent. Only a small stump hung on his shoulder. A long scar extended from the corner of his mouth to the edge of his neck, disappearing under his armor.

"Thanks to you. I've not only lost my gang and my status, but I've also lost the opportunity to reach rank 2. I've even lost my arm and barely managed to escape with my life!"

"How do you think I should thank you?" Garrick's face twisted, not hiding his hatred and malice.

"How about taking a bath? You smell worse than a goblin." Kyle pinched his nose and said. The guy genuinely didn't smell pleasant. The scent of blood and carrion that came off him was genuinely a new low. Kyle remembered the blood pool and mountain of bones he had seen in the underground space beneath the haunted manor.

'He played a part in the ritual.' Kyle was certain.

"You fucking brat!" Veins popped out on Garrick's forehead.

"I'll enjoy dismembering you to pieces!" He shouted before unsheathing his sword and rushing towards him. Kyle didn't show weakness, rushing forward as well.

"Clang!" Their swords collided, creating a small shockwave. Kyle felt his hands going numb. He clenched his teeth and tensed his muscles, pushing back against Garrick's sword with all his might. His eyes glowed bright blue as he used both [Mana Enhancement] and [Clairvoyant Eyes]"You're not bad, brat. But it's not enough." Garrick grinned, his arm muscles bulging as he pushed his sword forward, sending Kyle tumbling back.

'He has only one arm, and I'm using two, and he's still overpowering me? Is this a joke?' Kyle steadied himself and jumped back. He looked at the grinning Garrick with a solemn expression. He didn't expect that even a crippled Garrick would overpower him.

'Is this the difference between the current me and a professional at the peak of rank 1?' Kyle circulated his mana across his arms, soothing the numbing sensation.

'This battle is going to be the hardest and most dangerous one in my life so far.' Kyle felt his heartbeat accelerating. His body was shivering, but it wasn't due to fear. It was excitement.