UFO

"Not many people know about the Empire's Wizard Tribunal. It seems you're no ordinary man."

Ding Qiu remained calm. He tightened his grip on the gun and quietly aimed it at the figure.

The other party had clearly come prepared. The mask he wore was impervious even to Ding Qiu's X-ray lens. Judging only by his outline and voice, he was likely a relatively young man.

Of course, he could have been using a voice changer.

Ding Qiu took half a step back. In truth, it was a signal to Zhang Lan—a tacit understanding forged through years of working together.

Ronan, however, did not care. With Noah's help, every move the Wizard Tribunal duo made was plainly visible to him.

"I only want the spellbook."

He began probing with his words.

Ding Qiu chuckled. "Many people want the spellbook. But the moment that thought enters your mind, this Empire can no longer tolerate you."

"You traitors to humanity!"

The next second, he violently pulled the trigger!

Bang!

A peculiar sound erupted from the barrel as a storm of steel pellets and sparks burst from the muzzle!

The gun's design was rather unusual, completely different from modern Laser Guns. Its ammunition was even more archaic—pure steel pellets!

It was an old-fashioned shotgun!

In this era, no one used weapons like this—except members of the Wizard Tribunal!

Through all their training, they had one fact firmly ingrained in their minds:

Steel was the bane of sorcery!

When the air was saturated with iron particles, a wizard could even lose the ability to cast spells for a short time. Since the other party had chosen a natural setting like the mountains as the battlefield, he surely knew at least some sorcery.

Ding Qiu was a battle-hardened veteran. Naturally, he understood that every possibility had to be cut off.

He would not give the enemy any chance to use sorcery!

As long as even one steel pellet struck the other party, this battle would likely be over!

But in the next instant, his pupils contracted slightly—an unbelievable scene unfolded:

The moment he pulled the trigger, the figure somehow predicted the trajectory of every steel pellet. In that split second, Ronan's body moved like an agile cheetah, darting into the forest at the flank!

So fast! Ding Qiu was shocked.

That kind of speed could probably rival the Super Soldiers from the Empire's secret experiments!

He instinctively raised his gun and aimed in the direction Ronan had fled, but at that very moment, a clean, powerful punch slammed into his face!

Agonizing pain jolted through his nerves, and his body toppled backward.

"Ding Qiu!" Zhang Lan cried out involuntarily from afar.

"Move!" Ding Qiu, struck by Ronan's terrifying speed, did not panic. Instead, he gave an order through clenched, slurred teeth. "Web!"

The next second, he tossed aside his weapon and spread his arms, attempting to seize Ronan in a bear hug!

In the distance, a silver-glinting sphere had already been thrown toward them.

"Large quantities of iron particles detected... These Tribunal people are still using the same old tricks." Even while warning him, Noah could not break his old habit of mocking everyone.

Ronan remained unruffled. In his view, if Ding Qiu and Zhang Lan were the only ones here tonight, then his victory was assured!

He was not merely a wizard. His body had also been tempered by the Eleven Arts, becoming incomparably powerful!

With his extraordinary agility alone, he could easily take down the two of them in the forest.

Facing Ding Qiu's counterattack, he moved as swiftly as lightning. With a casual upward swipe, he severed Ding Qiu's wrist; with his second movement, Ronan grabbed Ding Qiu by the belt and actually lifted his entire body off the ground!

Just as the silver sphere was about to strike Ronan, he hurled Ding Qiu—a burly man weighing nearly two hundred pounds—straight at it!

Bang!

The sphere struck Ding Qiu's body and instantly transformed into a simulated spiderweb, electricity and sparks crackling across it!

"Ah..." Ding Qiu let out a pained cry as he was hit. He only felt the world spin, and then he lost consciousness completely.

In the distance, Zhang Lan sharply sucked in a breath. But before she could check on Ding Qiu, a ghostly figure had already rushed toward her!

She instinctively wanted to flee, but Ronan was more than three times faster than she was.

He... can't possibly jump up here, can he?

That thought flashed through her mind in an instant.

Then she watched with her own eyes as Ronan truly leaped up, like a black panther.

A heavy punch slammed mercilessly into her lower abdomen, the pain nearly making her pass out on the spot!

Boom!

Ronan moved in one smooth flow, smashing Zhang Lan's body straight into the ground!

She struggled briefly, but ultimately passed out.

Ronan crouched slightly, like a beast poised to strike. His expression remained blank, and even his breathing had not quickened.

"Is this all the Imperial Tribunal is capable of?"

"Isn't this a little... too weak?"

Ronan looked at the two people lying on the ground. Though he had great confidence in his own strength, he was still somewhat surprised.

Noah mocked them mercilessly. "That's because you haven't encountered any truly strong opponents yet."

"The Imperial Tribunal has some genuine lunatics—people even Mia of the Wizard Alliance wouldn't dare underestimate."

"As for these guys, they have the nerve to call themselves spiders? They're nothing more than vanguards."

Ronan nodded. The next moment, he leaped straight down from the six-meter-tall tree.

Dim lights, searing pain, and an icy chill.

When Zhang Lan slowly regained consciousness, she found that she and Ding Qiu had been tightly bound and thrown into the back seat of the jeep.

The rear door was open, and the masked man was watching them coldly.

"Who exactly are you... You never used magic from beginning to end. You're not a wizard." Zhang Lan groaned painfully.

"The spell manuals. This is your last chance."

Ronan spoke calmly.

"You think I'd believe you?" Zhang Lan spat, sneering. "If we give you the spell manuals, we'll still die. How could lunatics like you possibly let us go?"

"If you give me the spell manuals, you might not die. If you don't, you definitely will. That is the most logical choice from your standpoint." Ronan knew exactly what he wanted.

Kill two members of the Imperial Wizard Tribunal to vent his anger? He was not that bored.

Even if he truly intended to make a move, he would not target foot soldiers like these. His target was the spell manuals. Whether it was the Camouflage Technique or the Disguise Technique, both were highly practical spells for him and could greatly increase his strength.

Zhang Lan fell silent.

"His name is Ding Qiu, and yours is Zhang Lan. You're both due to retire next month. A month ago, he already booked tickets for a sightseeing spaceship from Academy Star to Dragon Capital Province."

"This is your last mission. It would be such a pity to die now."

Ronan coaxed them patiently. "Give me the spell manuals, and I can guarantee that I won't kill you."

"Impossible..." Zhang Lan stared at Ronan coldly. "If we give you the spell manuals, we'll still die."

"You're still too naive. Don't you know what kind of brutal institution the Wizard Tribunal is?"

"You think triggering the alarm and relocating the battlefield was clever, but in truth, you were only seeking your own death."

The next second, Noah's somewhat distorted voice rang urgently in his ear. "Ronan, danger!"

In an instant, Ronan did not hesitate. He kicked off the jeep's rear tire with both legs, launching himself backward like a cannonball.

BOOM!

At the exact moment his body sprang away from the jeep, a grenade fired from an unknown location struck the vehicle with perfect accuracy!

Suspended in midair, Ronan felt every hair on his body stand on end.

For the first time since leaving Crescent Prison, he smelled the scent of death.

This ambush had come so silently that even his Danger Perception had failed to foresee it.

The instant the grenade hit the jeep, Zhang Lan and Ding Qiu were blasted into bloody fragments. Though Ronan had done his utmost to protect himself, his body was still covered in countless bloody wounds!

Excruciating pain tore at his nerves, yet his mind remained exceptionally clear.

"Noah! What's going on?"

"It's UFO! Damn it, I didn't detect any order on their Dark Web about additional combat personnel being deployed. That means this guy saw you trigger the alarm and suddenly decided to come over."

Noah's voice was filled with frustration!

Ronan staggered as he landed, involuntarily glancing southward.

At the side of the mountain, a stealth aircraft had appeared at some unknown time, hovering there.

A man holding a grenade launcher grinned at him.

His face was smeared with lime powder, making him look exactly like a madman.

I'm feeling a little unwell today, so this update is a bit late. Sorry; the usual update times are 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.