Chapter 26: Who Are You?
Lu Li deftly sidestepped the attacking hair, glancing at Gao Xiaowen, who wore a nonchalant expression, as if to say, "Oops, my bad."
"Are we openly attacking now?" Lu Li didn't counterattack. Firstly, Gao Xiaowen was protecting the mermaid princess on her way to the prince, and retaliating would interfere with the mission. Secondly, an elderly man in a white wizard robe emerged from the carriage, indicating his identity.
The old wizard raised his staff, chanting a spell. An invisible wave dispersed Hu Wenxu's skill, reducing the guards' irrational greed and restoring their sanity. They looked at the gem-like objects in their hands with horror and quickly discarded them. Anger at being tricked flared in their hearts. They drew their swords, with one group guarding the prince while the other charged at Lu Li's team.
Lu Li took a deep breath, channeling the sluggish shadow magic within him into his third skill slot. This skill had only two modules: the Control module (Mental) from the Shadow Assassin skill, and the Rule module (Fear) that had never been loaded.
Though incomplete and not fully functional, Lu Li's manual magic infusion acted as a substitute for an energy module, activating the half-formed skill.
However, Lu Li's magic control was slow, requiring significant preparation to use the skill. Magic infused the modules, converting into a fearsome aura directed by Lu Li's mind into his hands. He approached a guard with erratic movements, placing a hand on the guard's face.
The fear aura surged into the guard's brain, causing him to wet himself, tears and snot streaming as he collapsed in terror. Without more magic to draw upon, the guard might have died of fright. Lu Li, dodging another guard's swing, slapped the second guard, similarly incapacitating him.
Hu Wenxu finally joined the fray. If he had delayed any longer, Lu Li would have been forced to kill, jeopardizing the mission. Hu Wenxu's physical abilities surpassed Lu Li's. Wielding his coral knife, he slashed at the guards' clothing, activating his second skill: Paralysis Attack, briefly blocking their nerves.
With Hu Wenxu's support, the guards fell one by one. The two players turned their attention to the carriage and the old wizard standing guard.
"Hmph!" The old wizard snorted, continuing his incantation. Lu Li threw one of Hu Wenxu's eye jewels at the wizard, but a protective aura deflected it.
"Of course, there's protection," Lu Li realized. The wizard finished his spell, directing his staff at Lu Li's team. Massive magic surged, forming countless icy shards that launched like missiles at Lu Li and Hu Wenxu.
Ice shards whizzed past Lu Li, embedding deeply in the ground and freezing the struck soil. The main targets, Lu Li and Hu Wenxu, faced increasing danger.
Despite Lu Li's skilled footwork, designed for assassination rather than evasion, the old wizard's spell was relentless. The wizard's sustained magic required minimal energy to maintain once cast.
"At this rate, we'll be worn out," Lu Li muttered as an ice shard grazed his arm, instantly freezing the wound and the blood within.
Hu Wenxu gritted his teeth. His three skills were Greed Inducement, Paralysis Attack, and an internal energy cultivation technique. He had to act. Dodging a few ice shards, he said to Lu Li, "I'll use an item to disrupt him. Find your moment to strike."
Before Lu Li could respond, Hu Wenxu pulled out a card, his reward from the previous instance: a three-time use spell card for Fire Ring of Resistance, though the user couldn't move.
A ring of fire flared around them, incinerating the incoming ice shards. With the fire shield in place, Lu Li rushed forward, muscles surging as he punched the wizard. The first punch hit the shield, the second shattered it. The wizard raised his staff to cast again.
Lu Li stepped back, shouting, "Prince, we attacked only to allow a beautiful lady to meet you. There's no need for bloodshed. See, we haven't killed anyone."
"Mr. Allen, cease your spell. I wish to speak with them," a gentle voice called from the carriage. Prince William emerged, his golden curls and handsome face exuding a calm, determined aura. He smiled at the surrounding maids, "Help the injured, these people mean no great harm."
"Which lady wishes to see me?" Prince William asked, though his gaze was already on the mermaid princess Ariel, who looked at him with adoration.
"William, I finally see you. Do you remember me?" The mermaid princess, supported by Gao Xiaowen, spoke telepathically, her eyes filled with emotion.
Prince William looked at her blue eyes, then said apologetically, "I'm sorry, miss, but who are you?" [TL: He will know me instantly bullshi- lol]
[End of the Chapter]