The shortsword in his hand pierced Arthur's chest.
Yet Urto felt no joy.
It felt wrong!
This was not how a blade felt when it pierced flesh.
And the next moment, Arthur vanished.
All that remained before Urto was the wall his shortsword had stabbed into.
Illusion!
Urto, no novice to the mystical side, instantly understood what had happened. But before he could react, Arthur, hidden in the shadows nearby, had already pulled the Thunder Gun's trigger.
Bang!
As fire flashed from the muzzle, seven pellets passed through Urto's body, but not a drop of blood spilled. Just as Urto's shortsword had pierced Arthur moments earlier, the seven pellets passed through him without causing any harm.
The difference was that Arthur had used an [Illusion Scroll] stored in the [Athos Box]. It could create a perfect human illusion, but had no offensive power and would disappear when struck.
Urto, however, was not an illusion.
Urto had turned himself into mist.
The Rat Council's gatekeeper saw the surprise in Arthur's eyes and immediately laughed.
"Well?"
"Surprised?"
"Welcome to the mystical side, rookie!"
With that, Urto vanished from where he stood.
[Death Intuition] flashed violently. Without a second thought, Arthur rolled away.
The instant Arthur moved, Urto's shortsword swept through the churning mist. Had Arthur stayed there, his throat would already have been slit.
"Nice dodge!"
"Come on, keep going!"
As Urto spoke, he vanished again.
[Death Intuition] flashed once more, and Arthur immediately dodged again.
This time, however, he was a fraction too slow. A slit opened in the shoulder of his coat. Although the blade had not cut his flesh, Arthur could already feel its chill.
One moment slower, and his blood would have splashed across the floor.
Seeing the grim look on Arthur's face, Urto laughed even louder.
"Put