Desperate Last Stand

UFO was the codename for the Empire's latest generation of hovering stealth fighters.

It was said that because it used technology the Empire's research institutions had recently deciphered from the Kindling Tome, the UFO fighter's stealth capabilities were exceptionally impressive. Even Noah, who had secretly infiltrated the Dark Web of the Empire's Wizard Tribunal, had failed to notice its arrival.

Still, Noah had sensed that grenade shell in the end. Combined with Ronan's extraordinary reflexes, they had barely managed to evade it.

"Why do all the assassins I run into after breaking out of prison love using grenades?"

Wrapped in pain, Ronan swore for once. The moment he barely landed, he had no time to stop. He plunged straight into the densest part of the bushes, using them to avoid the enemy's scans.

"Probably because they're simple and brutal..." Noah, on the other hand, sounded extremely serious. He had no interest in joking. "I found the information. This guy's nickname is Death God, one of the top twenty lunatics in the Empire's Wizard Tribunal. The data says he just happened to be vacationing in Blue Sea Province. He must have seen Zhang Lan and Ding Qiu's mission reports and decided to meddle because he had nothing better to do!"

"This guy even kills his own subordinates?"

Ronan gritted his teeth through the pain and dodged frantically. Grenade shells blasted out of the hovering UFO fighter as though they cost nothing. Even with Ronan's incredible speed, weaving back and forth was becoming extremely difficult.

The forest was soon set ablaze, and thick smoke began to obscure Ronan's vision!

"That's why I said the higher-ups of the Empire's Wizard Tribunal are all lunatics! This guy is one of them!"

Noah was anxious. "He's using incendiary bombs to blanket the entire forest. He doesn't care how he kills you! He wants to burn you alive."

"The only way to break out seems to be that river."

The moment Noah finished speaking, Ronan said decisively, "We can't go there!"

"He's forcing me in that direction!"

"He must be waiting for me to flee there—the river may seem like the only escape route at first, but if he's prepared an ambush beforehand, then no matter how fast I run, once I lose the forest's cover, he'll take me out with one shot!"

Ronan's thinking was crystal clear.

The entire mountain was a dynamic three-dimensional map in his mind.

The enemy was deliberately driving him that way. It was practically an obvious open scheme.

According to the information Noah had provided, Death God was an exceptionally skilled sniper.

Judging by the UFO's hovering position, no matter which direction he charged out from, there was a high chance he would be taken out by the enemy's firepower!

This was the terror of the Empire!

No matter how strong one person was, they could not stand against an army. Ronan was already powerful enough, but he was only one person—a mere Wizard Apprentice.

None of the spells he knew could hit the UFO from afar. No matter how freakish his physical abilities were, he could not leap directly onto the UFO. The enemy held the terrain advantage and possessed terrifying firepower. Ronan's situation was extremely, extremely dangerous!

The flames spread through the forest, leaving Ronan less and less room to maneuver!

Meanwhile, his injuries continued to worsen.

The massive blood loss had slowed Ronan's running speed. The forest was also becoming increasingly hostile—the flames were not the most terrifying part, but the thick smoke.

As the oxygen level in the air dropped and was replaced by huge amounts of smoke and dust, Ronan did not even dare take deep breaths lightly. Choking smoke could kill a person!

"Water! I need water!"

In the forest, Ronan, who was trying to break out in every direction, was beginning to panic as well!

From high above, the entire mountain had already become a sea of fire.

Trapped between the mountainside and the summit, his only option was to rush over the cliff and jump into that river!

But charging out recklessly would lead only to death.

Ronan had to find a way to create cover.

"Noah!"

He roared.

"Found it! Twenty meters to the left, there's a small mud puddle. There should be some clean water in it!"

Noah was frantic too.

If only they had a mech.

Even if it could not contend with the UFO's firepower, at least they would not be in such a passive position.

At that moment, Ronan finally understood how those wizards had felt when facing the cold, hard Steel Rebel Army back then.

Ordinary Wizard Apprentices had no way to harm these machines armed with heavy firepower.

In this situation, unless Ronan were a wizard proficient in wind and fire who could seize the chance to create a Fire Storm that struck back at the sky, other types of wizards would have no good way out.

The enemy's firepower was simply too fierce. Ronan vaguely remembered that it had started with grenade shells, then incendiary rounds, and now seemed to have become a long-range laser sniper rifle—if Ronan's movements had not been so blindingly fast, and if the terrain had not been this relatively complex forest, he would probably have been shot dead long ago.

At this point, he could only grit his teeth and try to force his way through the escape route the enemy had left for him!

The next second, he rushed to the small mud puddle. Moving as fast as possible, he casually plucked a leaf and gently scooped up a small handful of water.

The spiral-shaped leaf immediately wrapped around the little mass of water.

Ronan took a step forward and slowly gathered his strength. At the same time, he took out a Primal Stone that was almost completely dried up!

The Elf Meditation Technique and the spell—Frost Armor—activated simultaneously.

Ronan chanted at incredible speed. Almost instantly, he completed both the extraction of magical power and the casting of the spell!

The handful of water was drawn out directly amid his chanting, forming a layer of icy frost.

Ronan controlled the frost aura swirling around the surface of his body.

He broke into a wild sprint!

This was a desperate gamble—and his final chance to escape with his life!

Three seconds later, a cliff appeared before him.

"Charge!"

That was the only word left in his mind. His whole body shot forward like a cannonball!

A massive amount of frost aura suddenly condensed!

Aboard the UFO, Death God, his face smeared with lime powder, let out a strange laugh.

"A cat-and-mouse game never gets old. Who would've thought that I'd catch a little wizard while casually vacationing in Blue Sea?"

The next second, the ultra-long-range laser sniper rifle in his hand aimed directly at Ronan as he charged forward.

Bang!

A laser round shot out, about to pierce straight through Ronan's head.

But at that critical moment, Ronan's body suddenly contracted.

A massive amount of frost condensed over his body, forming a thick layer of ice!

"An ice wizard?"

Death God excitedly licked his lips, his eyes lighting up!

The laser gun struck the ice layer, instantly shattering that layer of Frost Armor.

Yet Ronan himself fell off the cliff at an even faster speed, plunging toward the river below.

"Heh, you really underestimate me."

Death God sharply raised the barrel of his gun. In that lightning-fast instant, he actually completed another aim at Ronan.

"Goodbye..."

The next second, he was about to pull the trigger.

But just then, he suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

A terrifying sense of danger struck from behind. He whipped around.

A lazy dog was lying behind him, staring at him listlessly.

What made Death God shudder in fear was the dagger already pressed against his neck.

"Death God? Heh!"

The dagger swept sideways, and Death God's head fell straight from the UFO fighter without a sound!

The owner of the dagger stepped out from the shadows, a thin book held in her hand.

The girl with somewhat broad brows still wore a dull expression as she called out:

"Shaobing!"

The next second, the person and dog actually jumped directly off the UFO.

Rumble!

A terrifying explosion erupted instantly. The UFO fighter rapidly turned into countless specks of debris and flames, scattering down across the ground.

In the freezing river, Ronan felt that the intense pain had numbed his nerves. He could no longer even hear Noah's voice.

Everything before his eyes had become fragmented.

He tried desperately to control his body, but it was ultimately futile. He was too badly injured.

Just when he thought he was about to die, a hand suddenly grabbed his foot and rather rudely dragged him upside down out of the water.

Then, through his haze, he saw the outline of a dog.

Ronan felt that he must have been hallucinating.

Urgent notice! Yesterday, Coconut discovered that I had been scammed. Although I had been running the previous WeChat public account, it was actually registered by someone else. Damn Baidu! Please unfollow Deep Blue Coconut Juice and follow Author Deep Blue Coconut Juice instead. I had originally planned to post the first round of the supporting-character recruitment event today, but now it can only be postponed temporarily. Please understand and spread the word! This is extremely important—I was almost scammed.