Chapter 16: The Art of Spellcraft
Butler Ralph turned his head in horror, though he had already drawn his rapier, it was too late to pierce Leon's lunging body.
John, pale and panicked, sliced a mutated fish-man in half, and shouted, "No!"
Beneath his mask, Captain Sean's face turned white, his mind went blank as terrifying thoughts raced through his head.
Someone he once held in high regard, Leon, now seemed like a stranger as he desperately rushed forward.
"I can die, but not my family!"
Leon's swift leap and devious upward sword strike caught Matthew off guard.
"White Wolf Swordsmanship truly is fierce when faced head-on, leaving no time to dodge—only endure!"
"Is this how the protagonist makes use of companions—what a peculiar trait!"
On Matthew's display, an icon appeared over Leon's head.
"Under Control!"
Matthew had no idea who had taken control of Leon, or when it happened, but he had to admit, the timing was perfect.
He had used multiple spells, and even his last life-saving scrolls were gone, exhausting the mana reserves of a Level 1 Arcanist.
Even by super-genius standards, Matthew had pushed his limits, reaching the pinnacle of a Level 1 Arcanist!
The assailant didn't even strike directly but used the cunning tactic of controlling Leon, launching a surprise attack!
Indeed, Matthew hadn't noticed the changes in Leon's stats in time, allowing the enemy to exploit a gap in his defenses.
"I should never rely solely on displayed data…"
"At least this lesson wasn't learned too late!"
Yet Matthew wasn't hopeless; he still had a trump card—Yaya!
Even a newly hatched wyrmling boasted a challenge rating beyond most mortals, reaching Level 5!
Though Yaya wasn't a true dragon, Matthew sensed her special nature; she had steadily grown in power since birth.
In less than a day, her challenge rating had climbed from 5+ to 6+!
Sensing Matthew's danger, Yaya lunged.
Her horned head collided with Leon's chest.
Leon's sword struck Yaya's grey-black scales, sending sparks flying.
However, the force of the blow made the little creature yelp in pain, her sharp teeth bared.
In her pain, Yaya used her strength to knock Leon down into the foul-smelling swamp muck.
Despite being dirtied, Yaya agilely leaped up.
Driven by instinct, she pounced on Leon's chest and snapped her jaws at his bewildered face.
Crunch!
The emotions of the group plunged from despair to relief, like riding a rollercoaster to salvation.
Yaya's fierce expression was both cool and adorable!
Just as everyone was feeling immense relief, a deadly shadow silently crept behind Matthew.
A dagger with a blue sheen stabbed toward his back!
The strike was seasoned and vicious!
It came at the perfect moment, with Yaya too far away to save Matthew!
If struck, Matthew's fragile kidney would suffer catastrophic damage.
Massive blood loss and pain would paralyze Matthew instantly.
This kidney strike was only the first part of a coordinated execution.
Once the dagger plunged in, the assailant would twist it and deliver a crushing blow to the back of Matthew's head.
Finally, twin daggers would come together at Matthew's throat to finish the kill with a clean slash!
Deadly!
The sudden attack threw everyone into panic.
None could believe there was a second hidden assassin in their ranks!
But Matthew had anticipated it!
The moment the shadow lunged, sensing the threat lingering, Matthew had already taken a step forward.
He did not fall, bleeding and defeated, as people might have expected.
Instead, Matthew turned to face the incoming shadow.
His mana surged, flowing like a tide through his enchanted lenses, piercing the shadow's defenses.
"Typical spellcasters, always holding back a trump card, but without mana, your tricks are useless!"
The shadow sneered inwardly, his dark robes glowing with arcane light from protective enchantments—precious magical items meant to guard against deadly spells.
The assailant, a seasoned killer of spellcasters, was certain that Matthew had no chance of surviving.
No matter what spells Matthew cast, even a fireball, it couldn't stop him!
The shadow still had a vial of berserker potion in his pocket.
Once activated, it would nullify any negative effects, granting him unmatched strength and fury.
It would give him the power to decapitate Matthew with ease!
Such deadly precision!
Such meticulous planning!
The assassination was flawlessly executed, calculating every possible outcome—leaving Matthew's fate sealed in death!
However, when Matthew's magic hit the shadow, the magical protections did not trigger.
It felt as though Matthew had panicked and failed in casting the spell.
But that couldn't be right!
"Consume 1000 XP to advance Arcanist to Level 2!"
"Spend 5 skill points to raise Sleep to Level 5!"
The shadowy assassin, staring into Matthew's silver mask, felt an inexplicable sense of terror.
An overwhelming drowsiness washed over him.
Normally, his superior willpower allowed him to resist mind-affecting magic like sleep spells.
His training made him highly resistant to most mind-control effects.
Yet the anticipated mental battle against the spell never came.
Instead, sleep took hold effortlessly.
His eyes slowly shut, and he fell asleep!
"Unlucky for you, I'm no longer a Level 1 Arcanist. You might have even helped me level up!"
"My mana is fully replenished after leveling, I have plenty to spare now!"
"Shocked, aren't you? A fresh Level 5 Sleep spell—unless you have Willpower +10 or a legendary Iron Will feat, there's no way you're resisting it!"
"You bastard, I've finally got you!"
"Too bad, you didn't even make me use my last trump card..."
Stepping back nimbly, avoiding the assassin's falling dagger, Matthew turned, raising his staff toward the rushing Captain Sean.
Sean immediately dropped his weapon and knelt, afraid to make any movement that could be misunderstood by the other soldiers.
Angela dashed forward, her eyes filled with guilt and fear.
After ensuring Matthew was unharmed, she shot a deadly look at the unconscious shadow.
She raised her sword to behead the assassin, but Matthew stopped her with a gesture.
"No need to rush. Focus on the battle; Ralph will take care of this."
Standing behind Matthew, Ralph nodded silently, his eyes flickering with a mix of lingering fear and cold intent.
Before everyone's eyes, Ralph dragged the black-clad assassin into the wagon.
Matthew gazed at his status screen, noting that his luck had returned to normal, and mused to himself:
"So that's how it is…"
"Seems like Ralph has some stories of his own. I wonder what surprises he'll bring."
"Ah, just like a player digging up hidden quests…"