With no time to think, Lucas swiftly dodged to the side.
Almost the instant he moved, the cold-emitting ice spear shot past, grazing his ear and leaving a small cut that quickly frosted over with a thin layer of white ice.
Though Lucas narrowly escaped, one of his bodyguards wasn't so lucky.
The gigantic ice spear pierced through the guard's body.
"-4215!"
The bodyguard didn't even have a chance to scream before he was frozen into a lifelike ice sculpture.
He died instantly.
Everyone was stunned by the horrific number displayed.
It was only at this moment that Lucas realized something shocking.
The cloaked assassin attempting to take his life had managed to max out two basic skills!
Otherwise, the casting speed and power of his skills couldn't possibly be this extraordinary.
Even Lucas, who had seen much of the world, felt a sense of absurdity.
Was there really someone extravagant enough to use their free attribute points to upgrade basic skills?
Everyone had a fixed amount of these points, with no way to gain more – use one, and you lose one.
But this assassin had used his attribute points to max out two of the most fundamental skills!
John, unaware of their thoughts, didn't give them a moment to breathe.
Firepower suppression was his forte.
Mana swirled around him, and his staff once again lit up with a red glow.
Another fierce fire serpent surged towards Lucas and his companions!
Lucas and the others scrambled to dodge, cursing inwardly.
Conserving attribute points is basic knowledge for any awakener, yet today, they encountered someone who defied all norms.
Another explosion erupted in the darkness, instantly reducing a level 10 bodyguard to ashes, while the others sustained minor injuries.
Lucas, in his once immaculate white suit, now bore traces of scorch marks, appearing somewhat disheveled.
Lucas's face was dark with fury.
Always the favored son of heaven since birth, he had never experienced such disarray as he did today.
But he was not panicked.
Lucas knew well that even max-level basic skills had cooldown periods.
And in this newbie dungeon, where the maximum awakener level was only 10, the assassin couldn't have too many skills.
So, if he just bided his time, eventually the assailant would show a weakness.
That would be his moment to strike back!
While Lucas was pondering this, he suddenly noticed John starting to retreat rapidly, seemingly trying to create distance between them.
An opportunity!
A thought crossed Lucas's mind, and he quickly activated a skill he had been preparing.
"Crimson Shadow!"
A burst of blood-red light exploded from him, transforming his entire being into a blur of red shadow, rapidly closing in on John.
At the same time, several experienced bodyguards seized the chance to launch their own skills.
For a moment, the hospital corridor was alight with a kaleidoscope of colors - wind blades, arrows, and poison fog surged towards John.
Even Liam, the level 4 assassin, albeit a beat slower, activated his Shadow Step, joining the melee-focused bodyguards in their charge.
Lucas was the first to reach John, his staff flashing with a blood-red glow as a sword of blood swiftly formed in his other hand.
Lucas's wrist flicked, thrusting the sword towards John's chest.
A cruel smile crept onto his face.
He intentionally aimed the sword slightly off, not intending to kill his opponent.
He had promised to make this man wish for death, and he intended to keep that promise.
However, in the next moment, Lucas's smile froze.
He suddenly noticed the panic in his opponent's eyes vanish, replaced by a mocking gleam.
Lucas felt a surge of dread, his pupils contracting sharply.
To everyone's shock, two pale blue lights suddenly shone from John.
Everyone present felt a suffocating pressure, their minds screaming in disbelief.
A tri-element magus! This man was a tri-element magus!!
John instantly cast Wind Flow Spell and Zephyr Shield on himself, his speed skyrocketing.
Lucas's blood sword missed even the edge of his garment, easily dodged by John.
John had deliberately exposed a flaw, aiming to lower Lucas's guard.
Having vowed to slap his face, he was determined to follow through.
A slight smirk appeared on John's lips as he kicked Lucas's knee and, under Lucas's horrified and furious gaze, raised his hand.
"Smack!"
"Smack!"
Accompanied by two crisp, resounding slaps, two red damage numbers rose.
"-1!"
"-1!"
Amidst the explosions of various skills, the sound of these slaps seemed particularly jarring.
Lucas knelt on the ground, his body rigid.
He slowly reached up to touch his face, his eyes glazed with disbelief, as if unable to fathom what had just occurred.
Yet, the burning pain on his cheek was a stark reminder.
He, Lucas, the heir of House Carter of the imperial city, had been brought to his knees and slapped twice in public!
Liam and the bodyguards stood frozen, like statues, their eyes wide with shock as they stared at John.
They couldn't believe what they had witnessed.
Someone had actually made Lucas kneel and slapped him twice? How dared he? This was the heir to House Carter!
Everyone stopped in their tracks, the entire corridor falling into a deathly silence, reminiscent of the calm before a storm.
John looked at the dazed Lucas, patted his cheek, and said with a smile, "I told you to kneel and slap yourself twice. Why didn't you listen? You forced me to do it myself. Look at what you've done; you've turned yourself silly."
Liam and the other bodyguards twitched uncomfortably at John's words.
Who would ever slap themselves?
Lucas's face turned a visible shade of red.
Slowly turning his head, his eyes bloodshot, he spoke in a calm yet hoarse voice, "You will regret what you did today. I will turn the Federal upside down if I have to, but I will find you and destroy everyone related to you…"
"Smack!"
"-13!"
Before Lucas could finish, John delivered another heavy slap to his face.
The force of the blow nearly knocked Lucas down, and blood streamed from his nose instantly.
His white suit was spotted with blood, making him look utterly miserable.
Narrowing his eyes, John said, "I told you that you've been slapped silly, but you didn't believe me. You even dare to threaten me? Are you asking for more? Believe me, I can shove an ice spear right into your mouth if you don't behave. If you think you can act faster than me, we can test it out – let's see if your gadgets are quicker than my skills."
John certainly didn't believe that a scion of the imperial city like Lucas wouldn't have any life-saving gadgets.
However, even if Lucas truly lost his temper, John was confident he could make his escape.
Lucas's nostrils flared, his neck veins bulging, his face twisted in rage like a starving ghost.
He glared at John and roared hoarsely, "I will kill you, I swear I will!"
Before John could respond, he suddenly noticed a rich blood-red glow emanating from Lucas.
A strong sense of danger surged in John's heart, and without a second thought, he turned and ran.
He couldn't help but internally criticize, surprised that Lucas was so easily provoked into a life-or-death struggle.
But before making his escape, an idea struck John.
His staff lit up with a tri-color glow of red, blue, and green.
Before the astonished onlookers could react, a fire serpent, ice spear, and vines surged towards Lucas, Liam, and the others.
After releasing his skills, John didn't look back and jumped straight out of the hospital window.
"Boom!!" Another tremendous explosion rang out.
Under Seraphina's astonished gaze, John transformed into a streak of blue light and swiftly vanished into the night.
The already dilapidated hospital building, battered and weakened, saw a significant portion of its structure collapse in an instant.
At the same time, a blood-red light shot up into the sky! Lucas, in tattered clothes and utmost disarray, his face twisted grotesquely, didn't even glance at Seraphina.
He turned into a streak of blood light, chasing in the direction John had fled.
"You can't escape! I will scour the entire Stellarburg if I have to, but I will find you. I will drink your blood, skin you, and feast on your flesh!!" Lucas's hoarse, furious roars echoed through the night sky.
Seraphina watched the scene in shock, wondering what that man had done to push Lucas to such extremes.