The lanky magus and the archer woman were utterly dumbstruck on the spot.
After all, the burly man was no magus or assassin of the frail sort, but a bona fide iron-tier warrior with high HP and defense!
And to think, a warrior at the peak of level 10, iron-tier, was instantly slain by a mere novice!
The two could scarcely believe their eyes!
Fear flickered in the eyes of the lanky magus.
Without so much as a glance at the archer woman, he cast two wind-based spells on himself and, without another word, turned tail and fled!
If even a level 10 warrior couldn't withstand a single spell from this youngster, his magus self would likely meet his demise upon mere contact!
At this moment, the lanky magus was immensely grateful for his wind-based magus abilities.
He didn't even need to run all that fast; just faster than his teammate would suffice!
"You... you bastard!"
It took a good three or four meters before the archer woman came to her senses, realizing she'd been abandoned.
The archer woman was both furious and despairing.
She wasn't a wind-based magus but a mere short-legged archer.
She feared she wouldn't have made it far before that demon turned her into ashes!
As John watched the lanky magus make his desperate escape, a cold smile played upon his lips.
To think one could offend him and simply flee, as if such fortune existed in this world!
Skill activated! Vine Thorn!
The earth beneath John's feet writhed, and a thick green vine, bristling with thorns, burst forth from the ground.
Before the horrified eyes of the archer woman, the vine shot forward like a sharp steel lance, straight towards the fleeing lanky magus!
By now, the lanky magus had made it some ten meters away, escaping the casting range of Pyrokinesis.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had narrowly escaped to the heavens.
But the next moment, he heard a "thud"!
A thick green vine brutally and unreasonably pierced through his body!
The lanky magus's stride came to an abrupt halt.
He looked at the blood-stained vine protruding from his chest, then at his wound, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He couldn't understand how, after using a wind-based Zephyr Shield and a fire-based Pyrokinesis, this person could still wield a wood-based Vine Thorn!
"Thud!"
Before he could ponder any further, the Vine Thorn violently ripped out of his body!
"Aaahhh!!"
The vine, covered in countless barbs, inflicted excruciating pain, nearly silencing the lanky magus.
Blood and fragments of his innards flowed from the massive wound on his chest, his face twisted in agony as he screamed.
John remained calm amidst the gory scene; such bloodshed was all too familiar to him, leaving him unmoved.
After all, those who dared to provoke him should be prepared to pay the price!
The lanky magus's injuries were too severe, his chest pierced through, and he quickly lay still.
With a casual flick, John ignited a flame that reduced him to ashes, erasing all traces of the corpse.
It was evident this wasn't his first kill; he was adept and experienced in disposing of bodies.
The archer woman, witnessing this, sat paralyzed on the ground, her face ashen, her body shaking uncontrollably, her eyes brimming with terror.
To burn the body to cinders even after death, this man was truly a demon!
Seeing John turn his gaze towards her and raise his hand, the archer woman felt instantly enveloped by the shadow of death.
She could no longer care for anything else and pleaded through tears, "Please... please spare me! I beg of you, spare my life! I... I was just following orders, the real person who wants you dead isn't me..."
"Oh?" John paused, his eyes narrowing suddenly.
He had sensed something was amiss; it was too coincidental that he stumbled upon the Wanderer.
It turned out someone had sent them.
With so many enemies, John couldn't pinpoint who wanted him dead.
John halted his spellcasting and said indifferently, "Who sent you? Tell me, and I'll spare your life."
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything I know!"
Hearing John's words, the archer woman clung to this lifeline, spilling everything she knew.
Her voice trembling, she said, "It was someone dressed in a noble academy's uniform who sent us. He said you had offended a big shot from the Imperial City's Rosewood Group and offered us six hundred thousand federal coins for your life!"
After speaking, she hurriedly took out a bank card from her belongings and handed it to John with both hands, pleading,
"The six hundred thousand was to be split among us, two hundred thousand each. Here is my share, all for you!"
"A noble academy? A big shot from the Rosewood Group?" John murmured to himself, recalling the group of nobles who bore animosity towards him at the Awakening Square the day before.
If he wasn't mistaken, one of the leaders among them bore the Rosewood surname.
John's expression gradually turned cold.
He had thought it was Alex or some past foe, but he hadn't expected it to be them!
He had virtually no dealings with these people; in fact, he had only become aware of their existence yesterday and had never paid them any mind before, given the vast difference in their statuses.
If he had to point out any connection... it would probably be only with that woman, Seraphina.
But to seek someone's life over such a trivial matter, as if squashing an ant, one can only imagine the arrogance of that Rosewood Group bigwig, who clearly didn't take him seriously at all.
John let out a cold laugh.
With the enemy coming to his doorstep, he saw no reason not to retaliate.
As for the bigwig from the Imperial City's Rosewood Group, he'd deal with him first and worry about the consequences later.
As long as he covered his tracks well, there would be no lingering threats, something he was adept at handling.
With this in mind, John inquired,
"How can I find the person you were supposed to meet? They must have left you a way to contact them, right?"
The archer woman hesitated, but upon seeing John's icy stare, she quickly said,
"They told us... after killing you, to bring your body to 'Morgue Hospital' to meet them, and they would pay us an additional three hundred thousand federal coins as hush money."
"Morgue Hospital" was located in the middle section of Phantom Ruins, a level-up area for levels 5-6, not far from here.
John made a preliminary assessment of their strength and had already formulated a plan.
He had always been one to hold grudges, and now that he was being targeted, there was no reason not to return the favor with a significant gesture.
The archer woman seemed to sense John's grim intent and guessed what he was planning, too frightened to speak.
Offending either party was beyond her capabilities; at this point, she only wished to save her own life.
Seeing John remain silent, the archer woman bit her lip and suddenly started to undress, revealing her well-proportioned body, and pleaded,
"Young man, if you want to have your way with me, I can make you feel good. I know many positions and I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Just please don't kill me, I'd even be willing to be your slave."
Though she said this, the archer woman had her own calculations.
Encountering John could be a blessing or a curse, yet from his actions, it was clear he was an exceptional talent, and young at that.
If she could take this opportunity to become his woman, it wouldn't be a bad outcome at all.
Of course, if the opportunity arose, she wouldn't mind sharing John's story with those noble youths.
After all, aligning with a prominent figure from Rosewood Group seemed more in her interest compared to an unknown genius.
John glanced at the archer woman before averting his gaze, uninterested in her body, as neither her appearance nor figure met his standards.
However, he acknowledged her intelligence in leveraging her advantages.
Had John been a typical newly awakened awakener, he might have been tempted, but unfortunately for her, he was not.
John spoke indifferently, "I'll stick to the original promise; you're free to go. As for what to say afterward, I presume you don't need my guidance?"
Upon hearing John's words, the archer woman paused, then quickly responded with joy,
"Thank you, young man! I'll definitely keep your secret, not mentioning today's events to anyone. The other two members of our squad were killed by a dungeon boss; no one will know!"
John nodded, saying no more.
Seeing this, the archer woman, not bothering to dress properly, turned and fled, as if fearing John might change his mind.
John watched the woman's retreating figure and smiled.
She indeed was a clever woman.
But sometimes, a woman can be too clever...
The next moment, a green vine shot out from beneath John's feet, heading straight for the archer woman's head.