Something Seemed a Little Off

"You're lying."

The man spoke with absolute certainty, as if he'd seen right through Colin's act at a glance.

[You were confused by his words and couldn't understand how he had seen through your disguise, but after thinking it over, you spotted a clue.]

[You realized the man seemed to have an excellent sense of smell. He'd been breathing far more frequently than the others. Clearly, you figured he'd discovered a flaw in your preparations by scent.]

Damn, was this guy's nose really that good?

Colin complained inwardly. Although he was a little surprised to have been found out, he wasn't the least bit flustered.

Seeing the man about to continue, he smiled and said,

"Your next line is: 'The smell of sulfur and gunpowder gave away your identity. You're the one who made the explosives.'"

The tall man in iron armor, holding a rusty iron sword, had been working up to say just that. Colin's words left him stunned. He instinctively opened his mouth, but Colin spoke first again: "Your next line is: 'How did you know?'"

"How did you know?"

After saying it, he froze, his face flushing red. An indescribable sense of frustration and humiliation welled up in him.

Just then, a cold icicle suddenly flew toward Colin. The next second, Shana smashed it to pieces with the Sun Bible in her hand.

"What are you doing!" The man wearing knight's armor only on his upper body looked displeasedly at the other man, who couldn't quite be called an ally yet—the "mage."

"This guy found the Niter Mine, so what's there to discuss? Look at the size of his group. How could he possibly share it with you? Don't be stupid! Once he gets the chance, he'll split us up and kill us one by one!"

"In the Gray Fog, it's either you die or I do. Why would anyone give up their share?"

"Now's our chance. We all join forces and take him down. That's the only way we can become a united group!"

The man in a tattered mage's robe, holding a Shattered Staff and seeming to be in poor mental shape, shouted at them.

Then the "mage" looked at Shana, his gaze openly lecherous and greedy.

"And this little beauty—such a rare find. Don't you want to have some fun with her? I guarantee that once we take him down and get 'control' of this woman, there'll be enough for everyone!"

"Our 'mage' friend is right! I've had my eye on this woman for a while! Let's take that man down, and she'll be ours!" shouted someone who had been standing with the "mage" from the start.

There were five of them. Before meeting Colin, they'd already been a group, and the largest one at that, led by the "mage."

Hearing their companion's words, the others immediately erupted into a commotion.

"Haha, I want to strip her naked too! I want to hear what she sounds like when she moans in bed!"

"I can't hold back anymore, brothers! Get them!"

The man in iron armor frowned. He was beginning to regret joining up with these people.

Apart from their personalities, he'd noticed that something seemed wrong with their judgment. He didn't know what they'd been through, but their emotions were extremely volatile.

Still, the other man was right: they had to get Colin under control, or nobody would be able to stand against him.

As for killing him, he didn't think that was necessary.

Meanwhile, the "mage" didn't hurry to attack. Instead, he was puzzled that the man who had found the Niter Mine still hadn't made a move.

They hadn't been speaking very loudly, but from barely ten meters away, anyone listening carefully could hear them.

Yet in the face of such "filthy words," their opponent hadn't reacted at all?

Even a normal person would be furious after hearing that, then charge out in a fit of rage and fight them, wouldn't they?

Something was off.

Just then, he saw the armored man sniff the air. His expression changed. He sniffed again in confusion, then his eyes suddenly widened!

"I'm waiting for the explosion. What are you waiting for?"

A cold voice came from ahead.

"Come back! Get down, now!"

The "mage" halted and tried to call out to the two Survivors who had already charged toward Colin with several Servants. But as soon as the words left his mouth, a deafening explosion drowned them out.

Boom, boom, boom—

Three thunderous blasts erupted from the ground near them.

The powerful shockwave sent them sprawling in every direction, while the dirt flung high into the air came pouring back down like rain.

Some of those closest to the blasts fell to the ground. Their heads were ringing, and despite several attempts, they couldn't get back up.

The explosions had thrown off their sense of balance. They wouldn't recover for at least ten seconds.

"Protect me! Protect me!" the two unlucky Survivors screamed in terror. One of them had even had his leg blown off.

But no one paid them any attention.

Before they'd even met, Colin had already planted small charges in the ground, then retreated some distance.

He'd deliberately positioned himself in a nearby open area, so when they came close, they would notice him first rather than the traces of explosives buried in the ground.

In fact, the sharp-nosed man had smelled the gunpowder on the ground, not on them from ten meters away.

With the Gray Fog's natural cover, they hadn't truly realized what was happening until the barrels of explosives were about to blow.

Unfortunately, by then it was too late!

Their already loosely organized group was blown into disarray. Some were even thinking of fleeing.

"Despicable! No class at all! Attacking us by surprise!" someone shouted angrily.

What they didn't know was that Colin had only meant to blast them apart and then take them down one by one. He hadn't expected—

They'd stepped right onto the Explosive Barrels.

It hadn't gone quite as he'd planned, but the result seemed even better.

"Holy Light, protect us!"

Shana spoke softly. In an instant, everyone within a certain radius was enveloped in a sacred glow.

The dawn-like light would last for nearly three minutes on Colin and the others, allowing them to take at least half as much damage.

But casting the skill on so many people left her looking tired. She could feel her already meager magic nearing exhaustion.

"That woman's a healer! I'll deal with her. You hurry and take down the Survivor! Take out the leader first!"

The "mage" had seen through everything!

With that, he attacked Shana. The mysterious item in his hand, the Shattered Staff, gathered an icicle and sent it flying at her!

If he hit her three times, he could freeze her solid!

But what he hadn't expected was that the healer—

After shielding her teammates, she looked at him coldly, then charged forward!

She charged forward.