"27! What are you doing here?!" the assassin shouted but didn't stop his attack as Luke throws the tablet towards Lawrence before blocking the strike of the ax with his dagger. Surprisingly, the attack stopped but Luke's bones rattled as he coughs blood.
"You're too weak! Now die 27!" the assassin dwarfed Luke as he raises the ax high in the sky before slamming it down as Luke sidestepped to dodge as a large crack opened in the ground. Lawrence runs away as Luke was flabbergasted but he needs to focus everything he has to avoid needing to use his beast materialization. With a swift movement, he appeared behind the assassin as qi circled around his dagger. A wolf's head manifested as it opens its large jaws before crunching down. The assassin turns around only to see a wolf's fang crashing towards him as he held his ax up. With the ax blocking the fangs and his feet planted on the bottom jaw. Luke's dagger went straight to the assassin's heart. The assassin can only glare at Luke as he gets munched by the wolf's jaws leaving a half-eaten corpse in front of the auction house.
It was an easy and swift fight for Luke who numbered 27 in the ranking of the black syndicate. In the black syndicate, there are two types of assassins. The one who relies on assassination jobs put on the board and the one who got assigned by the 12 shadow princes. The ranking is assigned based on how many hits the assassin did and their kill rate and not based on strength. Luke reached this rank by doing hits every time non-stop and with the help of his true sight, it's easier to see the target through walls and obstacles. His eyes can see everything that may harm him in great detail allowing him to enter guarded places with ease. The manifestation of the wolf's head comes from the wolf's fang dagger that Luke wields. It contains majestic powers that only a wolfkin can use. The spell inside the dagger is the fabled wolf manifestation Fenrir which allows Luke to summon the god-killing wolf at a cost of his lifespan. This is why he can only use small parts of the wolf's body to attack and to at least stop his enemies from attacking back as it's based on Luke's strength.
He was about to run away but an immense danger can be felt behind him as he felt someone grabbing him by the wrist. His eyes saw the scarred man yanking him by the wrist with the flaming spear aiming towards his head. He was about to activate his beast manifestation but he knew it wouldn't help. The scarred man is too strong. He closed his eyes accepting his death but it never came. He opened his eyes to find a black shield stopping the flaming spear from killing him.
"You think you can stop me with this frail shield?" the scarred man asked before bursting in a pillar of flame as what emerged from it is a large dragon made of flames. It opened its jaws before breathing flames below towards the black shield as Luke knows that if the shield breaks, he would be burned to ashes. A sea of flame caused by the fire dragon surrounded the capital as the screams of citizens running away can be heard. Suddenly, the world got quiet as Luke opens his eyes to find the time stopping. He tried to move but his body wouldn't listen as he can only see around the place. A blind teen can be seen walking around nonchalantly with a smile while looking at the destruction. His brown hair and relaxed posture can be clearly seen. What's weird about him, is there is no aura and no mana on his body. He's like a normal teen walking around.
Luke knows that this teen is dangerous as he closed his eyes and attempted to act like he's frozen in time but it didn't mean anything to the teen who slowly walks towards him.
"That's cute, no need hiding it to me you know" the teen gazes at Luke with a smile as his voice causes Luke to feel a shudder in his spine. Luke opened his eyes as the teen smiled at him
"Nice to meet you, Luke. My name is Oziel" the teen stretched his hands for a handshake but then he chuckles
"Forgive me, i forgot that you can't move or speak"
"You want to ask me what am i?"
"Of course, i'm a normal teen. Oh, you know what, i'll bring your friends" he snapped his fingers as Lawrence, Catalinna, and Vania appeared beside Oziel. He clapped his hands so everyone can move their body. Catalinna only looked at Oziel with her eyes wide open while Lawrence surveyed the blind teen.
"What are you? I don't remember.." Catalinna muttered as Oziel smiled at her.
"Creating me? Oh, dearie. You are so wrong. This reality isn't your story anymore my dear. I'm sorry if you're disappointed." Oziel chuckled
"What is this, what is happening boss?" Vania asked while looking around with fear in her expression.
"Don't worry, i'm no demon or god. I'm a simple and normal teen." Ozial replied nonchalantly
"No 'normal' teen can stop time or teleport anyone easily" Lawrence glared at Ozial who in turn shrugged.
"You should thank me. I just save you all. Can i hear a thank you at least?" silence followed as Ozial laughed
"Not a polite bunch huh..it doesn't matter." Ozial stretched his hands forward as Lawrence can feel his arm being twisted the wrong way as he gritted his teeth in pain. Luke didn't hesitate to summon the god-killing wolf Fenrir as he immediately falls to the floor. The 30-meter white wolf gazed at Ozial before bringing down its large claws as Ozial simply stretched his hands upwards before gripping the wolf's paw. A yawn escaped from his mouth as he gazed at everyone. The Fenrir tried biting Ozial off but an invisible barrier stops the large wolf from coming near him.
Catalinna can't even move her body as she can only feel fear grappling her heart. Once Lawrence's arm is misaligned and facing the wrong way, the black shield changed to a floating liquid before moving towards his arms and fixing it. Changing his normal arm to an armored black metallic arm.
"Well, that should help you. Anyways, i'll give you each gift to provide me with entertainment and of course to save this world"
"What do you mean?" Catalinna asked
"Of course, i can't have you dying right?" Catalinna looked at Ozial confusedly as he gazed at Luke next before gazing at Vania. Seemingly doing magical that Catalinna can't see. She's sure that he doesn't use any mana or aura and even the law of no time stopping she created in the novel got broken easily by this mysterious teen. One thing is for sure, even the final boss of her novel can't fight against someone that can stop time.
"I must go now" Ozial bowed before the time returned to normal as the teen suddenly vanished from thin air. The Fenrir vanished too as the flaming dragon continued on spitting fire towards the four of them as Lawrence allows the black material attached to his arm to become a floating mass of liquid into the shape of the shield as it blocked the attack once again. He knows that as long as they won't get away right now, his mana would be gone and the black material would freeze and become a piece of useless baggage.
Catalinna grabbed the gauntlet that is hanging at Lawrence's back as she calmed herself down. Dashing forward from the shield, she stretched her palm forward as the fire was absorbed towards her palm as the scarred man was surprised. Using this chance, she creates a large fireball that is larger than a house before throwing it towards the dragon.
"Hurry your ass up! Carry that guy and i'll carry Vania. let's go!" Catalinna hurriedly carried Vania while Lawrence used the shield as a platform where he put Luke in.
"DONT LET THEM GO!" the flaming dragon shouted as knights dashed towards them with their weapons wielded.
"Let's go to the sewer" Catalinna suggested as Lawrence nodded. Lawrence shakes the space ring as smoke bombs appeared in his hands. He immediately throws it towards the knights as smoke covered an entire alley. Up on the rooftop, three assassins from the black syndicate are running towards them as one of them throws a poisoned dart aiming for Lawrence. Luke wakes up from the noise as he realizes that he's riding a floating shield as a small dart is moving at a fast pace before he blocks it with his dagger.
"What the hell is happening!" Luke shouted as he stands up, ready to fight the asssassins.
"We are getting chased" Lawrence replied as Luke was about to reply only to hear an arrow whistling as he opens his eye to see the invisible arrow heading for Lawrence as he easily destroys it with a single swing.
"I'll cover your back! Just hurry up!" Luke shouted as one of the assassins jumped towards him with his sword glistening from the sheer sharpness of it.
"27! i'll kill you!" he yelled in anger as he landed on the large black shield. Both of them swing their weapon rhythmically creating sparks as their weapons slashed and stabbed to kill their opponents. Luke noticed that he can see what the enemy will do next as he blocked and retaliated with a swing, creating a gash in the arm of the assassin. Angered by this, the assassin quickens his swinging while making it unpredictable as Luke gets overwhelmed. His eyes can follow the swing of the sword but his body isn't fast enough to block every attack while swinging back. Creating wounds all over his body as he stimulated the qi to cover his arms with it, creating a fur armor capable of blocking the sword slashes as he raises it to block the incoming overarching strike from the assassin. With the successful block, he summons the Fenrir's claws as he swings it to the side as the assassin smashes to the building with a large gash in his chest.
Lawrence can see the manhole in front of them as he throws the remaining smoke bomb all around the alley to cover their escape as Catalinna opens the manhole as she throws Vania inside before entering it as both Lawrence and Luke follow them before closing the manhole.
"Let's head to the wyvern below the sewer and leave through there" Catalinna suggested as Lawrence nodded.
"Let Vania sit on the shield, i'm fine" Luke jumps off from the shield as Vania reluctantly climbed the shield as she cursed herself for being useless.
"A-are you fine?" Vania asked with worry in her voice
"No….I mean yes. Y-yeah, i'm fine" Luke stuttered as Catalinna chuckled
"Let's go" Lawrence commanded before everyone headed deeper to the sewer to escape the assassins and the knight.
At a top of the palace, a teen with his eyes closed can be seen smiling nonchalantly, not fearing the height or the emperor noticing him. Even if the emperor noticed him, it doesn't matter anyway.
"What a bunch of fun fellows, I wonder what they will do next" he chuckled as a woman manifested behind him with a veil covering her face.
"You cursed being! What did you do to my successor!" the woman shouted as Ozial turn his head with the same nonchalant smile.
"Nothing, just something interesting" he replied as the woman vanished with a frown through the veil.
After running the whole day, they are covered with dust and dirt that no one is having a fun time. They are too tired and no one has the stomach to eat either. They are currently resting on the floor that is relatively clean as Lawrence prepares the rebirth potion. No one is talking as they looked at Lawrence with interest or boredom. Catalinna is pretty sure that there should be nothing wrong that is gonna happen. As they watch the potion mixed and combined to a colorful spectrum
A phoenix cry echoed in the room as it signaled that the potion is finished and ready to ingest. As Lawrence opened the potion as the smell of washed lingered in the room as he prayed to God that this wouldn't blow in his face as he drinks it immediately as quickly he swallowed the potion without even tasting it. After ingesting it, he waited if something is gonna happen or not. He waited for an hour but nothing seems to happen as he looked at the bottle confusedly. There shouldn't be anything wrong with the potion but it's better to leave for now as they wasted enough time.
"We should leave for now. I doubt the knights won't realize where we are" Lawrence said to everyone as Luke groaned while Catalinna sighed. Vania looked around fearing that the knights will attack them again as they headed deeper in the sewer through stairs and cracks in the wall as they jumped to the lowest floor of the sewer to find a red wyvern chained to the wall. It's dark as Catalinna lit the torches stuck on the wall to give light in the room to see the wyvern with signs of fatigue and hunger on its body.
"I can fight this wyvern alone" Catalinna smirked as a reddish-brown qi runs around her fist and into the gauntlet as it flickered with a bright flame. Covering her gauntlet with flames, she dashes forward as the wyvern opens its jaw in an attempt to bite her as she sidestepped, leaving a fire clone as the wyvern bites it before exploding inside the wyvern's mouth. She winds up her gauntlet as the flame surrounding it grew and grew into something larger before slamming it to the wyvern's neck. Creating a large explosion that swallowed both Catalinna and the wyvern's head as the walls shook violently from the sheer force of the explosion as dust and dirt flew all around the floor as the shockwave pushed others despite being far from the explosion.
Leaving the bloodied and ripped carcass of the wyvern, she remained unscathed with a satisfied smile on her face. She stared at her body to find even the clothes remained untouched. Her qi makes her every fire attacks explode and the more mana or aura the attack was used, the bigger the explosion. Additionally, it seems she is invulnerable to fire and explosions.
"That was surprisingly easy" she boasted with a wide smile.