Action (Part One)

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"Swish."

Qu Luo's greatsword radiated a terrifying light as it slashed straight down toward Old Wilson's head.

Though deeply shocked, Old Wilson recovered quickly, gripped his greatsword with both hands, and let out a low roar. In an instant, a ball of fiery red flames suddenly burst from the blade, growing larger and larger as it burned fiercely and emitted a scorching heat.

"Light Sword!"

"Flame Slash!"

The two clashed head-on, their greatswords colliding as tendrils of flame and white light intertwined amidst a barrage of strange noises.

"Bang."

The flames on Old Wilson's greatsword clearly proved no match for the white light on Qu Luo's, yet both men stepped back a few paces, fighting to an absolute standstill.

"Third-Level Light Swordsman!"

Old Wilson narrowed his eyes slightly. Through the exchange just now, he had already figured out his opponent's background—the man was a third-level Light Swordsman, and his manipulation of elements was clearly superior to his own.

Such incredible strength! A mere Level-Two Flame Swordsman could never be this powerful in pure physical might!

Qu Luo was equally shocked inwardly, his expression gradually turning grave and shedding its previous arrogance. He could tell that Old Wilson was indeed merely a Level-Two Flame Swordsman, yet the man had managed to fight him to a complete draw. Unquestionably, the terrifying power erupting from Old Wilson's burly physique played a crucial role in this feat.

"Qu Luo, you can't handle him alone, can you? Haha, Angus was right after all—don't underestimate the enemy. Anyone who has survived the Slaughterhouse is bound to have extraordinary capabilities!"

Another gold-masked man approached Old Wilson, slowly drawing his greatsword with intentions that could not have been clearer.

"Another third-level Light Swordsman!"

Old Wilson carefully sized up the two men while simultaneously racking his brain for a countermeasure.

"Kill."

Qu Luo and Lei Luo, the two third-level Light Swordsmen, joined forces and charged at Old Wilson. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding area was cleared into a relatively quiet open space, with no one daring to approach them. Once close, a person was bound to be injured by the scattering light or fire elements.

Though besieged by two third-level Light Swordsmen, Old Wilson still held his ground without falling the slightest bit behind. His innate talent granted him a near-endless well of formidable power, allowing him to rival peak third-level Elemental Swordsmen despite merely being a Level-Two Flame Swordsman.

The longer they fought, however, the uglier Qu Luo and Lei Luo's expressions became. Confident beforehand that they could effortlessly slay Wilson, they now found themselves unable to do so and were even struggling immensely.

What a monster! How can his body possibly be this strong?

Helpless, the two men could only cast their gazes toward Angus, who was currently observing the battle.

Angus was the last gold-masked man. He had been keeping a close eye on Old Wilson, watching the man move like a giant as he wielded his massive longsword without the slightest hint of fear against two third-level Light Swordsmen.

In terms of raw strength, neither Qu Luo nor Lei Luo dared to clash head-on with Old Wilson, lest they be blasted away by his terrifying might.

"It seems even Lord Bishop underestimated Wilson. Even in this tiny Blackwater City, such a powerful figure exists..."

Angus muttered under his breath, slowly drawing the greatsword from his back.

"Swish."

A dazzling white light, far more potent than anything Qu Luo or Lei Luo had produced, radiated from the greatsword.

Grasping the greatsword with both hands, Angus quickly stepped toward Old Wilson, preparing to join the fray.

"Three third-level Light Swordsmen... plus over fifty first- and second-level Light Swordsmen... These are definitely not ordinary bandits, but guards of the Church!"

Merlin was still safe at the moment. Protected by Pula and numerous knights of the territory, he could leisurely observe the battlefield's situation.

Old Wilson's combat power far exceeded Merlin's estimates. The formidable old man, descending like a god of war, relied on pure strength alone to hold his ground against two powerful third-level Light Swordsmen—a truly astonishing feat.

Back when Merlin had not yet fully mastered the power of spells, dealing with a mere "Loren"—who was also a third-level Elemental Swordsman—had left him stretched to his limits and nearly cost him his life at Loren's hands.

Thus, he could appreciate all the more deeply just how formidable those third-level Elemental Swordsmen truly were.

"Young Master Merlin, please head into the castle first. We shall defend it with our lives!"

Commander Pula had quietly arrived by Merlin's side, drawing his greatsword as he stared fixedly at a group of bandits ahead.

A squad of bandits had already set their sights on the castle, charging directly toward it with two second-level Light Swordsmen in the lead. Pula stepped forward to intercept them with a heart prepared for death.

"Come on! I didn't die in the Slaughterhouse, so what can you mere bandits possibly do to me?"

There was a hint of madness in Pula's tone. A wispy flame flickered along his greatsword, though it fell far short of Old Wilson's intensity—he was merely a Level-Two Flame Swordsman. Faced with hundreds of bandits ahead, including two second-level Light Swordsmen, the dozens of knights guarding Merlin were simply incapable of holding them off.

"Young Master Merlin, do not worry. Yagesi will surely protect you."

The person closest to Merlin was Yagesi, a young knight of sixteen or seventeen who had escorted him here.

Yagesi's expression was extremely grave, his youthful face already bearing a trace of resolute determination. Merlin believed that if danger arose, the youth would step forward without the slightest hesitation to protect him.

"Yagesi, you will certainly become a great knight!"

A trace of a smile appeared on Merlin's face, as if he felt no urgency in the current situation. He then vaulted down from his horse and walked straight toward Pula.

"Uncle Pula."

"Hmm? Young Master Merlin? Why haven't you returned to the castle yet? It's dangerous here..."

Before Pula could finish, Merlin shook his head slightly and said in a calm tone, "Uncle Pula, gather the remaining knights, fall back, and defend the castle. As for these bandits..."

With that, Merlin calmly gazed at the group of bandits charging furiously toward them.

"Swish."

Two fireballs the size of fists appeared without warning before Merlin, floating quietly in the void and radiating an aura that made hearts skip a beat.

"As for these bandits... leave them to me!"

Pula remained dazed, Merlin's words still echoing in his ears.

Merlin extended his fair hands and pointed gently forward. In an instant, the two fireballs floating before him whistled through the air and flew toward the oncoming bandits in the blink of an eye.