Who Are You?

Lu Li shifted his step, oddly dodging the attack of the hair, then looked at Gao Xiaowen, whose expression was calm. She looked as if she were saying, "Oh, my hand slipped."

"Are you attacking so openly now?" Lu Li didn't choose to fight back. For one thing, Gao Xiaowen was escorting the Mermaid Princess to the Prince. Fighting back now would interfere with the mission. Besides, Gao Xiaowen had only included Lu Li in her attack as collateral when she went after the guards. For another, an old man had just stepped out of the carriage, and the white wizard's robe he wore identified him.

As soon as the old wizard appeared, he raised his staff high and began chanting an incantation. An invisible wave spread out, dispelling the skill Hu Wenxu had released. The guards' abnormal greed faded, and their reason returned. They stared in horror at the things in their hands that looked like jewels and dropped them. Then anger at having been deceived rose in their hearts. Drawing their swords, one group returned to guard the Prince's carriage while another charged at Lu Li and the others with a roar.

Lu Li took a deep breath and summoned the sluggish Shadow Magic in his body, channeling it into his third skill slot. The skill had only two modules: the Control Module: Spirit, which had been removed from the Shadow Assassin skill, and the Rule Module: Fear, which he had never managed to load.

The skill was missing many modules, so it was basically impossible to activate. But Lu Li channeled his own magic into the skill slot, meaning he no longer needed an Energy Module. Somehow, he managed to activate this half-formed skill.

However, Lu Li was channeling his magic very slowly and needed to prepare well in advance to use the skill. The magic flowed into the module and transformed into an aura of Fear. Lu Li controlled it with his mind and sent it into his hands. As the guards charged, he moved with uncanny steps to one of them and pressed a hand against the guard's face.

The aura of Fear spread over the guard's face with Lu Li's hand and struck his brain. The guard lost control of his bodily functions on the spot. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he collapsed to the ground, terrified. The poor kid would probably be left with a psychological scar. If Lu Li had been able to channel more magic, the aura of Fear would have been stronger, and the guard might have been scared to death.

Lu Li turned and dodged a guard's sword, then slapped another guard, frightening him into collapsing as well. He moved with uncanny steps, dodging the guards' attacks. With little of the aura of Fear left, and without killing anyone, Lu Li was in a perilous position.

Hu Wenxu finally joined the fight. If he hadn't come to help, Lu Li would have had to get serious and start killing. Even if the Mermaid Princess managed to win over the Prince, the players might end up in trouble with both sides, which would make the rest of the mission harder.

Hu Wenxu was much stronger than Lu Li. Holding the Coral Blade, he slashed at the guards' clothes and used his second skill, Paralysis Strike. His attacks released a strange force that disrupted the target's nerves, briefly paralyzing them. Of course, the paralysis was only temporary.

With Hu Wenxu joining the fight, the guards who charged at them fell one after another. The two of them then turned their attention to the carriage surrounded by guards and the old wizard standing in front of it.

"Hmph!" The old wizard snorted and continued chanting. Lu Li saw what he was doing, produced one of Hu Wenxu's Eyeball Jewels, and shot it straight at the chanting wizard. A flash of white light appeared around the old wizard, and the jewel bounced away.

"So he does have protection," Lu Li realized. By then, the old wizard had finished preparing his spell. He pointed his staff at Lu Li and the others, and an immense surge of magic rose around him. Countless ice crystals formed at his side, turning into diamond-shaped shards that shot toward them like cannonballs.

The ice shards skimmed past Lu Li and struck the soil behind him, embedding themselves deep in the ground. The dirt and stones they hit began to freeze. Meanwhile, Lu Li and Hu Wenxu, the primary targets of the attack, were in even greater danger.

The footwork Lu Li had learned from the Assassin gave him a powerful ability to dodge, but it was meant for assassination, not for playing a game of hide-and-seek. Ice shards kept forming around the old wizard and firing at them. His spell had taken a long time to cast, but once completed, it could keep firing at very little cost.

"If this keeps up, we'll be worn down to death! Think of something!" An ice shard grazed Lu Li's arm, and the wound froze instantly. The blood flowing there froze too, blocking the blood vessel.

Hu Wenxu gritted his teeth. He had three skills in total: Excitation of Greed, brief paralysis, and a cultivation skill for developing internal energy. There was nothing else to do but take a gamble. Dodging several ice crystals, he said to Lu Li, "I'll use an item in a moment. Find the right opening and rush up to interrupt his spell. That should be enough."

Before Lu Li could respond, Hu Wenxu pulled out a card. It was a reward he had drawn after clearing his last instance. It could release the Magic Repulsion Fire Ring three times, but the user couldn't move while using it.

A ring of fire suddenly bloomed around the two of them, burning up all the incoming ice shards. With the ring of fire in front and Lu Li behind it, Lu Li seized the opportunity and charged forward. He used Muscle Release and punched the old wizard, but the protective barrier blocked him. Lu Li immediately threw a second punch. With a sharp crack, the wizard's barrier shattered. The wizard gripped his staff, preparing to cast another spell.

Lu Li stepped back and shouted, "Your Highness, we attacked your carriage only for the sake of a beautiful young woman who wants to meet you. There's no need for us to fight to the death. You can see that we've held back—we haven't killed anyone."

"Mr. Allen, please stop casting. I'd like to talk to them," said the Prince in a gentle voice from inside the carriage. He pulled back the curtain and stepped out. With golden curls and handsome features, he radiated a gentle yet resolute air. He smiled at the maids gathered around him and said, "Take the injured away and see to their care. These people don't seem to mean us much harm."

"May I ask which lady wishes to meet me?" Prince William asked, though his gaze was already fixed on Ariel, the Mermaid Princess. She was gazing at the handsome Prince with rapt fascination.

"William, I finally got to see you. Do you remember me?" The Mermaid Princess stepped forward with Gao Xiaowen's support and asked excitedly through telepathy. She had sacrificed so much for this day.

Looking into Ariel's pale blue eyes, the Prince froze for a moment, then said apologetically, "I'm sorry, miss, but who are you?"