The One Seeking Help

Did you hit the book?

Faced with this unexpected situation, Mina and Fina were both stunned. They hadn't anticipated this at all; even in their wildest expectations, Li Lin shouldn't have been hit so easily. However, Mina's longsword did indeed feel a solid touch, and the Magic Missile showed no sign of missing. Under the simultaneous attack of both, Li Lin's body flew backward and then crashed heavily to the ground.

"Owner!?"

Caught off guard by the scene before them, the two sisters immediately ceased their attack. At that very moment, an invisible, mysterious force suddenly erupted.

"Too naive."

Li Lin suddenly appeared behind Fina, and his cold, heavy voice startled the young Vampire Species. However, before Fina could open her mouth, Li Lin casually swung his hand. Under the impact of the violent force, the curse Fina was preparing in her mind burst out as a scream. Her body had no strength left, and she collapsed limply to the ground.

"They were far too careless in protecting themselves and didn't even bother to monitor the surrounding spatial fluctuations."

Li Lin withdrew his right hand.

Even if you are Vampire Species, you should never forget any potential dangers lurking around you. In a battle against a mage, any mistake could cost you your life!

"Fina!!"

Seeing Fina's pale face and blood trickling from her mouth, Mina was horrified. She immediately rushed towards Li Lin. However, an invisible barrier separated Fina. Mina felt the air around her being completely compressed, as if it were tangible, pressing down on her body. She tried to break free, but couldn't move an inch. On the contrary, the pressure around Mina grew stronger with each struggle, almost breaking her bones. Faced with such immense pressure, Mina had no choice but to grit her teeth and resist. As the power released by Li Lin gradually increased, the sound of bones cracking in the girl's body could be clearly heard.

"Vampire Species possess immense power, but it still falls short compared to magic. Never forget this. As a warrior, the most important thing is to never allow yourself to become a target. At your current speed, you should be able to do that."

Li Lin clapped his hands, and the pale light barrier vanished completely in the blink of an eye. The power that had been binding Mina also disappeared.

"Master... we..."

Fina coughed several times, but still couldn't stand up. That powerful force was Vampire Species couldn't completely resist, let alone Fina, who was just a newly born Vampire Species and naturally didn't have any resistance.

"It seems you've learned a lot, but you still have a long way to go."

Li Lin looked at the two sisters, whose expressions were complicated, clearly unsure of what to say.

"Is this... a mage?"

"This is the mage."

Li Lin nodded.

"Remember, if you're going to fight a mage, never let your guard down unless you're absolutely certain he's dead. It's true, your combined attack hit me just now, even if it was an illusion; you did a pretty good job. But, Fina..." With that, Li Lin looked seriously at the girl paralyzed on the ground.

"Mina has done an excellent job as a warrior, but as a mage, you are still far from adequate. I have told you many times that a mage must always prioritize self-defense before battle. No matter what kind of enemy you face, a mage's abilities are always limited. Once defense is lost, a mage becomes extremely vulnerable. Do you really think that just because you possess the powerful physique and keen senses of Vampire Species, you no longer need to engage in conventional defense?"

"I... I just thought that this way, I might be able to increase my attack opportunities."

Seeing Li Lin's serious expression, Fina lowered her head uneasily. She knew she was wrong. However, due to Angela's influence, Fina had become increasingly confident in her Vampire Species abilities. Moreover, Li Lin's "training declaration" had come too suddenly; Fina had no time to put up any defenses. But she never expected to fail so completely—though that was to be expected.

"Never forget this, no matter what the circumstances."

Li Lin was clearly dissatisfied with Fina's behavior. Facing such a powerful enemy, it was foolish to focus on offense from the outset instead of defense. In a one-on-one battle, using offense to buy time would be understandable, but in the previous fight, Mina had clearly taken on the role of the vanguard, yet Fina still chose to continue attacking instead of protecting him... Perhaps this was simply due to her personality; she couldn't tolerate being the only one protected. However, a mage shouldn't have such naive ideas.

I believe this training will change her perspective.

"Mina, you and your sword seem to work well together."

Li Lin shifted his gaze from Fina, who was slumped on the ground, and looked at Mina stood silently to the side.

"However, I think you might need some better equipment to deal with mages... You're far from Angela's level, so don't always try to resist magic with brute force like she does. In fact, even Angela will choose to retreat when faced with certain spells."

"Yes, Master."

Mina gripped the hilt of her sword tightly and gritted her teeth.

"You can go and rest now."

Because Vampire Species possess formidable physical strength, Li Lin didn't care about holding back. Although these spells weren't high-level, Li Lin unleashed them with all his might, making them far more powerful than those of ordinary mages. If they were humans, they would probably be mangled and dead on the spot by now. However, even so, the two sisters, half-crippled by Li Lin, managed to stand up with great difficulty. After enduring the pain, they bid farewell to Li Lin before turning and leaving, entering the luxurious and opulent little house.

"Good qualities, but unfortunately, too little practical experience."

Watching the sisters' figures disappear, Li Lin shook his head. They hadn't even seen through a simple illusion, and had even fallen for a trap. If this were a battlefield, these sisters, even as Vampire Species, probably wouldn't fare well. This time, Li Lin had specifically brought them out to give them some relatively "formal" combat training. Angela didn't train them much at all, simply letting the two sisters figure things out on their own, completely disregarding the Vampire Species and didn't possess the same strength as her. As a result, the two sisters could only imitate Angela's fighting style. From their fighting actions, one could see Angela's arrogant fighting style of looking down on everything and trampling everything underfoot. However, the sisters' personalities were completely different from Angela's, so with this kind of training, they were naturally just imitating without achieving any good results.

Mina seemed determined to focus on being a warrior, which was fine. But Fina couldn't continue like this. Instead of using her Vampire Species innate strength, she chose to become a mage—but mages, too, are not allowed to avoid battle. Fina's theoretical knowledge was mostly still in the "theoretical" stage. Without giving her several opportunities to practice, it would be difficult for her to truly and thoroughly understand the mage's fighting style.

Hopefully, these next few days will help them improve.

Li Lin rubbed his forehead and sighed. Then, he turned and walked out of the courtyard, patting a dazed Dark Elf guard on the shoulder at the gate.

"You, come with me."

This Dark Elf was none other than the cunning thief skilled in disguise.

Although the petty thief absolutely did not want to follow Li Lin, he had no other choice at the moment. Left with no other option, the thief had to continue playing his role and follow behind Li Lin.

On the surface, Li Lin was simply wandering aimlessly through City of Ten Thousand Stones. Although many people were interested in his identity, everyone knew about the grand welcome the female priest had given him. Anyone who wanted to survive in this city wouldn't dare to mess with this strange man—moreover, facing a man who could blast Dark Elf to smithereens without batting an eye, they'd probably have to think twice before doing anything.

Li Lin was completely relaxed, but the little thief was inwardly nervous. He had no idea why Li Lin hadn't chosen the Dark Elf guards, but instead brought him along. After all, he had no power whatsoever... Could it be that his secret was already... No, no, no, that was absolutely impossible. He didn't even know him; how could such a thing be? But...

"This... Your Excellency, Master."

Just as the thief gritted his teeth, about to ask a question, a figure suddenly emerged from the alley beside him. It was a man completely shrouded in a cloak, who gripped a long sword and blocked Li Lin's path.

"Hello, sir."

Although his wording was very respectful, his tone revealed an arrogance that was inconsistent with his words.

"I'm so sorry to bother you so suddenly. But could you please stop for a moment? We have something we'd like your help with."

Li Lin hadn't yet reacted to the man who had suddenly appeared, but the thief behind him was already staring wide-eyed in surprise.

It was him?