The rush of blood in Theron's ears fell to a droning lull, blending into the sheer chaos around him. Every step he took on the ground seemed to take his whole body, propelling him forward in such a controlled fashion that not even a layer of dust was disturbed.
His eyes darted around, his blade leaving streaks in the air every time he passed by an enemy. Somehow, he picked his path perfectly, passing through the easiest opponents he could find and taking advantage of the one thing he could: he was alone.
It didn't matter if there were 50 or more enemies. At most, three or so could attack him at the same time.
They were unorganized, and more were falling down from the ceiling, adding to the chaos. And the one directing them all in an attempt to form some sort of cohesion was none other than Theron's target.
The gaze of the Soul Mancer sharpened. She had been paying attention to Theron all the while and hadn't considered for a moment that he might actually be able to close the distance.
But she also couldn't understand his audacity.
It was much harder to hide cultivation in the face of someone with Third Eye. She didn't know Theron's exact cultivation, but she knew for a fact that he wasn't in the Higher Bronze Resonance Tiers. Meaning, at best, he was three tiers of cultivation beneath her.
And she had guards. How could she possibly be alone?
Her lips parted and a resonant hum came from her. The armor she wore lit up, and an echo of Mana spread through the region. As though receiving their orders, several figures that had once had their attention elsewhere turned to Theron.
Theron was still faster.
In a flash, he closed the distance on the Soul Mancer. A mutter came from his lips, a certain focused light sparking in his eyes as he quickly finished casting a technique.
[Bursting Water Shield].
There was no immediate attack coming for Theron. The fact that he would cast this now didn't feel like it made any sense.
However, in that briefest instance of time, the expression of the Soul Mancer changed.
The instant the water shield manifested around Theron, she lost contact with him. It was as though he had vanished right before her eyes.
She reached out with her senses, but they fell into the shield as though it were an endless abyss.
'Impossible!'
Her quasi Third Eye almost felt like she was trying to catch a fish in the water, but the light refracted and danced around far more wildly. By the time she realized Theron had done it on purpose, the [Bursting Water Shield] did what it did best and burst apart.
A rain of water fell in all directions, and everyone hurriedly retreated. They had no idea what the technique was. Only a fool would casually allow themselves to be touched by a Water Mancer's water.
Unfortunately, they miscalculated. It was nothing more than a facade.
[Touch of Mirage] activated one final time as Theron's Mana fell beneath 10%.
The Soul Mancer jumped, dodging out of the way of a [Water Bullet] she sensed at the final instant. But she had no idea that that would be her final action in this life.
A short sword flashed, a surge of pressure slicing against her neck. Her armor couldn't even react in time, not without a command from her voice.
Her head flew into the skies.
BANG! BANG!
Theron's foot stepped on the shoulder of the Soul Mancer's headless corpse before her head even fell to the ground, his quads flexing as he leapt into the air.
He soared through the rays of the sun, landing outside with a deft agility.
'Water. I need water.'
This thought consumed every fiber of Theron's being. His Mana was running dangerously low. That last maneuver took everything he had. His body was already starting to show signs of Mana Deprivation.
And yet there was still danger all around.
The good news was that in the chaos, the oddity of Theron didn't stand out that greatly.
From the start, Theron hadn't been able to pinpoint exactly who their enemies were because they wore no identifying markings. If not for this, he would have already realized just what they were up against.
Theron had already gotten rid of his black cloak on the leap upward, but he also knew that running in the opposite direction of everyone else was bound to make him stick out like a sore thumb.
He took deep breaths, his chest heaving.
There was no other choice. He just had to go for it.
Theron bolted, running with whatever speed he could muster with his Mana at an all-time low. He didn't know exactly where he was, but he just ran in the direction of Water Mana as fast as his legs could carry him.
He was hoping for a stream, a river, a lake—anything.
The sun was too bright and the skies were too clear to hope for rain. This was his best chance.
A determination remained in his steely blue eyes. As pale as his face was, and as much as his sweat was making his simple linen clothing stick to his body, his blood continued to pump.
Ever since the start, Veinsong hadn't faded away. In fact, he only fell deeper into the state.
It was said that Veinsong could only last in short bursts, small measures of enlightenment like rays of the sun at dawn.
But it had already been over a quarter hour, and Theron was only falling deeper.
"HEY!"
A roar came from the side.
"DESERTER!"
Another roar came.
Theron's mind trembled.
Silver Mancer.
The projection of the voice, the feeling of oppression that landed on his shoulders. It wasn't just a First Resonance Silver Mancer, either. This was a true powerhouse.
As loud as the roar was, Theron could hardly hear it over the sound of his heartbeat. The heat of his body practically caused steam to rise out of his head, the drying of his lips causing an even more pronounced crackling echo to flood through him.
He had to believe. He had to believe that there was no way the Guild would give them such an impossible challenge.
Did they want them all to die? Was this not a culling, but a complete wipeout?