The old thief was not one to easily let go of his prey. No matter how legendary Fars the mage's reputation was in Nordan City, the old thief remained cold and watchful, waiting for the right moment to strike. It was only on the day Fars had summoned spirits for Lilith that he unleashed a soul pressure that enveloped the entire city, leading the old thief to mistakenly believe that Fars was a master of both ice and soul magic. Reluctantly, he had to abandon this target.
However, he was unwilling to be scared off without even having seen Fars in person. When Fars left Nordan City with Yuna and Lilith, the old thief blended into the farewell crowd, carefully observing Fars, who was cloaked in a black robe. Knowing that soul mages possessed incredibly strong senses, he refrained from directly locking onto Fars to gauge his strength. Fortunately, Fars's immense magical power naturally exuded a pressure that kept the old thief from doubting his abilities. Yet, upon returning home, he felt that something was amiss.
He couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong until a day had passed since Fars's departure. It dawned on him that when he had 'seen them off,' he hadn't felt the same soul-shaking tremor that day. Although the old thief was a level eight rogue and didn't know much about mages, he understood that a mage specializing in soul magic could exert a natural suppression over living beings due to their vastly superior soul power. While one could conceal their aura through special means, it was akin to how a higher being would naturally exude an intimidating presence; that 'mage' had not given off such a feeling.
The only conclusion was that he was either not a mage at all—something the old thief quickly dismissed—or that he was merely a mage skilled in ice magic and not a specialist in soul magic. If the latter were true, the old thief would not be so intimidated by Fars. In the eternally warm southern region, a mage who could freely manipulate ice and snow would not be able to exert their full power. As a level eight rogue who had broken through the seventh level, he wouldn't have made it this far without a bit of courage.
Making a quick decision, the old thief packed his things and set off in pursuit of Fars. Although the carriage was slower than an eighth-level rogue, Fars had already left a day earlier, making it impossible to catch up immediately. He had only just followed the trail left by the carriage when he stumbled upon a scene.
Faced with a low-level vampire, the old thief felt a surge of pressure. He would normally disregard a viscount-level vampire, but if the mage and the vampire were one and the same, it would pose a significant problem. The old thief knew he couldn't fly up to catch Fars, so he waited for the mage to descend from the sky, hoping for a good opportunity to strike.
Daytime was naturally the best time to deal with vampires, but as a rogue who thrived in the shadows, he knew that in broad daylight, both the enemy and he would be restricted. It was better to unleash his full strength in the night.
Fars, feeling somewhat frustrated, had taken to the skies after drinking a bit of wine, flying boldly through the cold wind. Just as he felt a sense of relief and was about to descend, a sudden killing intent surged toward him. Reacting quickly, Fars flapped his wings and flew higher, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow, though his shadowy wings were grazed by a sharp dagger, leaving a long cut.
Danis, reacting even faster, unleashed a burst of dark flames, forcing the hidden enemy back. With this successful strike, Fars's escape route in the sky was cut off. The old thief, sensing the same eerie aura as the soul tremor from before, swiftly evaded the dark flames and concealed himself once more.
Having been ambushed, Fars hadn't expected to encounter an eighth-level rogue here. However, with the enemy hidden, he couldn't immediately locate where he was hiding. Although darkness posed no hindrance to his vision, Fars had little means to counter the rogue's stealth.
Sitting idle was not an option. Fars quickly summoned a peculiar mist, different from ordinary fog, imbued with corrosive properties. As the mist expanded, the old thief was forced to reveal himself before it enveloped his hiding spot, charging into the mist to attack Fars.
The corrosive effect of the mist didn't pose a threat to an enemy with strong fighting spirit, but Fars's intention in using the corrosive mist was primarily to flush out the hidden foe. If the enemy didn't want to be corroded, they would have to unleash their fighting spirit to resist, making it impossible to remain concealed. Moreover, Fars didn't believe the rogue had the ability to see through the mist. There was no doubt about the rogue's identity; magical mist was not something that could be pierced by mere keen eyesight.
The old thief, limited by visibility, failed to hit Fars and was instead slowed by a thick chill. With a sudden surge of fighting spirit, he broke free from the freezing effect and dashed out of the mist.
Now, Fars could finally get a good look at his assailant. The old thief, unafraid of Fars, revealed himself, confident that his speed advantage would allow him to evade the mage's magical mist.
As he faced the rogue wielding a pitch-black dagger, Fars couldn't help but wonder when he had ever crossed paths with such a figure. The freezing magic he had cast with Danis's power had only momentarily slowed the rogue down, and he had quickly shaken it off. There was no doubt that this was not a level seven rogue; he was an eighth-level rogue, a formidable opponent.
Fars, who had always been confident in his abilities, didn't think he could hold back an eighth-level rogue. If he couldn't, then today might be the day he fell.
The commotion outside had already awakened Yuna, who stepped out just in time to witness the earlier scene. Fars sensed that, given his current strength, dealing with this enemy was somewhat beyond him. He quickly instructed Yuna, "You need to protect Lilith. Our enemy is an eighth-level rogue."
This statement seemed to expose a weakness in their side, and the old thief knew that the daughter of the city lord was inside the tent. However, the fate of the city lord's daughter had nothing to do with him. Hearing her master's concern for his disciple, he rushed toward the tent without hesitation. As for Yuna, who stood guard outside, the old thief smirked coldly, thinking he would take care of her first.
Fars's plan was not without merit; this act was crucial for gauging the enemy's movements. His most powerful method remained Danis transforming into a great sword, combining their strengths to unleash power comparable to that of a mage. Hesitation was not an option in a speed-based battle, and Fars charged forward with his sword.
Yuna felt herself enveloped by a chilling killing intent, but instead of being frightened, she instinctively raised her short sword to stab at the enemy's chest, even as the dagger was poised to slice her throat.
In a desperate struggle, the old thief had to retract his dagger to avoid being pierced by Yuna's short sword, redirecting his strike to clash against her blade. The force of the impact nearly caused Yuna to lose her grip on the sword, sending her flying to the side.
At that moment, Fars arrived to back her up. The overwhelming chill momentarily restrained the old thief, forcing him to take the brunt of Fars's sword strike with his dagger. This time, it was the old thief who nearly lost his grip on his weapon, feeling as if his entire arm was being frozen. He barely managed to dodge, dragging his stiff arm away from Fars's attack range.
Switching the dagger to his other hand, the old thief had no time to regain control of his stiff right hand when a beast-like growl heightened his alertness.
Yuna's eyes glowed a vibrant green, and Fars recognized that she had begun to use the Ventusian clan's innate abilities, enhancing her agility. Perhaps even with this boost, she wouldn't be able to match an eighth-level rogue, but Fars was right there beside her. They exchanged a glance, silently agreeing to flank the enemy from both sides.
The old thief sensed that things were going awry. Once doubt crept in, it became even harder to withstand their relentless assault. Yuna, as the main attacker, struck without holding back, targeting the rogue's vital points. Fars, meanwhile, supported her from the side, continuously gathering chill to slow the enemy down, bringing the eighth-level rogue's speed down to match Yuna's.
Fars knew that maintaining this seemingly advantageous position relied on Yuna's explosive power. The enemy's higher level meant their stamina and fighting spirit were far superior to Yuna's. If they didn't end this quickly, the situation would only worsen.
Biting his tongue until it bled, Fars spat out a mouthful of blood, using it to draw intricate symbols in the air while chanting the incantation for the Dark Dragon Slash. This method of casting spells using his own blood significantly enhanced the spell's power. Finally, as Yuna began to tire and was forced back by the enemy, Fars completed his incantation. With a heavy exhale, he uttered the final word, "Slash," and a blood-red dragon erupted from the depths of the abyss, charging straight toward the old thief, who had just pushed Yuna back.
The Dark Dragon Slash, or perhaps it should be called the Blood Dragon Slash, lacked the grandeur and targeting ability of the ancient spell "Scorching Death Ray" cast by Perugino. However, at such close range, the old thief, who was already struggling with speed, had no chance to evade. Desperately, he unleashed his fighting spirit to form a semi-circular shield, attempting to block the approaching black blood dragon that seemed ready to swallow him whole.
Just as the old thief was exhausting himself to withstand the dragon's force, a sudden phoenix cry resonated from the center of the battlefield. The old thief felt a jolt in his heart, and his protective fighting spirit shield faltered as the dragon seized the opportunity to break through.
Screams echoed, but Fars did not relax for a moment. The enemy was not yet exhausted. Although he had been struck by the dragon slash, it likely wouldn't cause fatal damage. However, having exerted so much effort to control the dragon, Fars found himself unable to cast another spell. Danis had transformed back into her phoenix form while Fars was casting, and the timely phoenix cry was her doing. Sensing Fars's urgency, she gathered all her dark flames and shot a black arrow toward the old thief, who was being consumed by the black dragon.
With all his strength focused on resisting the black dragon's assault, the old thief could no longer withstand the black flame arrow shot by Danis. The flames penetrated his body, igniting his very soul. As he stared blankly with hollow eyes, Fars couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret as he dispelled his spell.