The second his mind wandered, he cursed his own carelessness. The man who punched a hole in the wall pounced on Freon, catching up with a few steps. Perhaps after seeing his allies get injured, his strength and speed were elevated to another level. He was fully serious now! Another punch shot out towards Freon! If it landed, there was no doubt that Freon might be critically injured. The boy gritted his teeth and made an instant decision. He raised his left arm and sacrificed it! The punch detonated over his forearm, bending it like tofu. His bones were instantly broken and pierced through his skin, sending a spray of blood everywhere. Freon screamed in pain as his arm was mangled beyond recognition.
The man was inwardly surprised. Freon did not hesitate to sacrifice his body. Logically speaking, it was the smartest decision to make, but could anyone really do it? If someone asked you to cut off your own arm to save your life, could you do it? Anyone would hesitate! That was normal! Fear, pain, and suffering… No one wanted to experience all that. Especially in the heat of battle, when death might be a mere breath away, it was too hard to make that decision so quickly. The man had to look at Freon in a new light. This kid must be either brave, masochistic, or downright crazy!
Thanks to that, the force from the blow was negated enough for Freon to continue pulling back. Adrenaline coursing through his body, his pain was dulled already to an undetectable level. But how could anything be so convenient? The Third Hand could distinctly see that Freon was pushing his body beyond his limits. If he continued, he would kill himself! There was no alternative! Just the injury from his arm alone was fatal enough. Blood was basically pouring out the open wound like a faucet. It was beginning to decorate the rainwater in crimson red. They could see this, but Freon did not. He was running off the high, thinking that he got the upper hand, where in fact, he was one foot in the grave.
The leader clicked his tongue and shouted, "Idiot!"
At this rate, Freon was going to kill himself! Maybe that was his goal? Killing himself might be a better option than being sold into slavery. Either way, they could not let him continue. The three jumped into action, moving so fast that they almost created afterimages. From the left, the center, and the right, they were a mere breath away from suppressing him. Freon had no way of escaping! Despite that, a faintly fearless glimmer shined in Freon's eyes. He almost laughed. He was no longer thinking straight, walking down a self-destructive path!
A different spell conjured in his mind, but… as soon as he moved his Magic Energy, it was like a chain reaction. Blood exploded from his every orifice! It was so extreme that he was instantly covered in blood. The pain was so extreme that it was far stronger than anything he had ever experienced. Not even the adrenaline high could stop it! His organs churned, his muscles contorted, his heart twisted, while his Core rampaged! Backlash! This backlash was so severe that his hand and wand nearly ripped itself to shreds like what Ten Dawn Tengon once felt. His mind virtually collapsed from the strain! He killed himself!
The three from the Third Hand arrived at his side just in time to see everything. The leader's expression was so dark that it was terrifying. To have this happen under his watch… He had everything under control. They outnumbered him five-to-one in the middle of the slums. They were the Third Hand for goodness sake! They could succeed in unimaginably grim situations and come out on top! How many missions have they accomplished where death was certain for others? How many times? Yet, what happened? One of them was dead, another was critically wounded, while two others, including himself, were hurt. Their history of flawless perfection was shattered by a child! A mere child!
The leader's aura began surging through the air, emitting horrific levels of bloodlust and killing intent. The other two flinched in fear. Even the man who could punch holes through brick felt a chill down his spine. The leader might not be a Perception Realm or at the level of the captain or vice-captain, but he was still one of the top fighters in the Third Hand. He was not someone to anger! He gnashed his teeth and without a place to vent, he began kicking Freon's body over and over again. His eyes were vicious, without the slightest bit of compassion or mercy. If looked could kill, a person would die a thousand times over. Indeed, underneath his seemingly calm exterior was a cruel interior. He was showing his true colors now!
Beside the man who pummeled Freon to a pulp, the third person stood out and stopped their leader. This caused the leader's expression to twist uglily. He twirled his dagger around expertly, placing a hair away from the man's throat. He could not be more furious right now. Should the man say anything wrong, he would not hesitate to kill him! That was who they were: a bunch of cold-blooded soldiers under the Third Shadow. There was little semblance of comradery between them. With the right excuse, they could kill anyone, including their ally!
The man smiled wryly and explained quickly, "The kid… might be alive. We can still save his life." But if you keep beating him, he might die… is what he wanted to add. However, after seeing that bloodthirsty aura, it was hard to complain.
As if waking up, the leader regained his cool and immediately knelt to inspect Freon's condition closer. The amount of injuries on his body were beyond belief. In fact, one would be farfetched to call him anything but dead. It was probably easier to find a wound than a place without. That was how serious his condition was! Yet, after a few seconds, the leader's eyes glimmered. He felt a faint heartbeat! Freon was still alive! Without wasting time, the man grabbed Freon, shouted out his orders, and retreated. Freon needed emergency medical treatment, as fast as possible, otherwise he would die. Much like how Shirley was currently, his life hung by a tiny, tiny thread! Ironically, the full power of the Third Hand emerged to save him!
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, a vacant tavern was serving two extremely conspicuous customers. They were well-built like bears in human skin, unbelievably larger than the man who broke Freon's arm. The chairs and table seemed fit for children in their hands. And their body was not for show either. They radiated a crazy aura that permeated throughout the tavern, infecting it with their presence. People had no choice but to prostrate themselves! This was the power of a higher lifeform, of one who exceeded human limits, of the Perception Realm! They were Captain Murvin and Vice-captain Uldat of the Third Hand!
At the moment, they had already emptied more than a dozen jugs of wine each, filling the table to the brim. Despite the vice-captain's disdain towards the wine, it was nevertheless an expensive drink. It was hard to imagine how much coin everything would cost. A family might survive several months off the money they spent in an hour! That showed how affluent these two were. Or perhaps, they might have no intention of paying? If they wanted to leave, could anyone stop them? The tavern owner, the waitresses, even the city guard, were all normal people. They had to plaster on a smile and cater to their whims, even if it meant bleeding their pockets. That was the right of the strong!
As they continued their drunken ventures, someone rushed in towards their table with a panicked expression. Seeing this, Captain Murvin frowned and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry? Has our target moved?"
Naturally, he was not talking about Freon. Freon was too small of a target for them to act personally. Captain Murvin was talking about Protector Avin Arcellius! In actuality, the captain and vice-captain were not simply sitting around and drinking. They were stationed close enough to the Arkfell estate to move against Protector Avin, should he reveal himself. That was the true reason so many from the Third Hand were deployed to watch the Arkfell estate. The Third Hand might be arrogant beyond reproach, but that came with a level of capability. Completing their missions flawlessly and not underestimating the Arcellius Family went hand-in-hand.