Chapter 16: The Art of Spellcraft
Butler Ralph turned his head in horror, though he had already drawn his rapier, it was too te to pierce Leon's lunging body.
John, pale and panicked, sliced a mutated fish-man in half, and shouted, "No!"
Beh his mask, Captain Sean’s face turned white, his mi bnk as terrifying thoughts raced through his head.
Someone he once held in high regard, Leon, now seemed like a stranger as he desperately rushed forward.
"I die, but not my family!"
Leon’s swift leap and devious upward sword strike caught Matthew off guard.
“White Wolf Swordsmanship truly is fierce when faced head-on, leaving no time to dodge—only endure!”
"Is this how the protagonist makes use of panions—what a peculiar trait!"
On Matthew's dispy, an i appeared over Leon’s head.
"Under trol!"
Matthew had no idea who had taken trol of Leon, or when it happened, but he had to admit, the timing erfect.
He had used multiple spells, and even his st life-saving scrolls were gone, exhausting the mana reserves of a Level 1 Arist.
Even by super-genius standards, Mattheushed his limits, reag the pinnacle of a Level 1 Arist!
The assaint didn't even strike directly but used the ing tactic of trolling Leon, ung a surprise attack!
Indeed, Matthew hadn’t noticed the ges in Leon’s stats in time, allowing the eo exploit a gap in his defenses.
“I should never rely solely on dispyed data…”
“At least this lesson wasn’t learoo te!”
Yet Matthew wasn’t hopeless; he still had a trump card—Yaya!
Even a newly hatched wyrmling boasted a challeing beyond most mortals, reag Level 5!
Though Yaya wasn't a true dragon, Matthew sensed her special nature; she had steadily grown in power since birth.
Ihan a day, her challeing had climbed from 5+ to 6+!
Sensing Matthew's danger, Yaya lunged.
Her horned head collided with Leon’s chest.
Leon's sword struck Yaya's grey-bck scales, sending sparks flying.
However, the force of the blow made the little creature yelp in pain, her sharp teeth bared.
In her pain, Yaya used her strength to knock Leon down into the foul-smelling s muck.
Despite being dirtied, Yaya agilely leaped up.
Driven by instinct, she pounced on Leon's chest and snapped her jaws at his bewildered face.
ch!
The emotions of the group plunged from despair to relief, like riding a rollercoaster to salvation.
Yaya's fierce expression was both cool and adorable!
Just as everyone was feeling immense relief, a deadly shadow silently crept behind Matthew.
A dagger with a blue sheen stabbed toward his back!
The strike was seasoned and vicious!
It came at the perfeent, with Yaya too far away to save Matthew!
If struck, Matthew’s fragile kidney would suffer catastrophic damage.
Massive blood loss and pain would paralyze Matthew instantly.
This kidrike was only the first part of a coordinated execution.
Ohe dagger plunged in, the assaint would twist it and deliver a crushing blow to the baatthew’s head.
Finally, twin daggers would e together at Matthew’s throat to finish the kill with a ssh!
Deadly!
The sudden attack threw everyoo panic.
None could believe there was a sed hidden assassin in their ranks!
But Matthew had anticipated it!
The moment the shadow lunged, sensing the threat lingering, Matthew had already taken a step forward.
He did not fall, bleeding aed, as people might have expected.
Instead, Matthew turo face the ining shadow.
His mana surged, flowing like a tide through his ented lenses, pierg the shadow’s defenses.
"Typical spellcasters, always holding back a trump card, but without mana, your tricks are useless!"
The shadow sneered inwardly, his dark robes glowing with are light from protective entments—preagical items meant to guard against deadly spells.
The assaint, a seasoned killer of spellcasters, was certain that Matthew had no ce of surviving.
No matter ells Matthew cast, even a fireball, it couldn’t stop him!
The shadow still had a vial of berserker potion in his pocket.
Oivated, it would nullify aive effects, granting him unmatched strength and fury.
It would give him the power to decapitate Matthew with ease!
Such deadly precision!
Such meticulous pnning!
The assassination was fwlessly executed, calg every possible oute—leaving Matthew’s fate sealed ih!
However, when Matthew’s magic hit the shadow, the magical protes did ner.
It felt as though Mattheanicked and failed in casting the spell.
But that couldn’t be right!
"e 1000 XP to advance Arist to Level 2!"
"Spend 5 skill points to raise Sleep to Level 5!"
The shadowy assassin, staring into Matthew’s silver mask, felt an inexplicable sense of terror.
An overwhelming drowsiness washed over him.
Normally, his superior willpower allowed him to resist mind-affeg magic like sleep spells.
His training made him highly resistant to most mind-trol effects.
Yet the anticipated mental battle against the spell never came.
Instead, sleep took hold effortlessly.
His eyes slowly shut, and he fell asleep!
"Unlucky for you, I’m no longer a Level 1 Arist. You might have even helped me level up!"
"My mana is fully replenished after leveling, I have plenty to spare now!"
"Shocked, aren’t you? A fresh Level 5 Sleep spell—unless you have Willpower +10 or a legendary Iron Will feat, there’s no way you’re resisting it!"
"You bastard, I’ve finally got you!"
"Too bad, you didn’t even make me use my st trump card..."
Stepping baimbly, avoiding the assassin’s falling dagger, Matthew turned, raising his staff toward the rushing Captain Sean.
Sean immediately dropped his on and k, afraid to make any movement that could be misuood by the other soldiers.
Ange dashed forward, her eyes filled with guilt and fear.
After ensuring Matthew was unharmed, she shot a deadly look at the unscious shadow.
She raised her sword to behead the assassin, but Matthew stopped her with a gesture.
“o rush. Focus otle; Ralph will take care of this.”
Standing behind Mattheh nodded silently, his eyes flickering with a mix of lingering fear and cold i.
Before everyone’s eyes, Ralph dragged the bck-cd assassin into the wagon.
Matthew gazed at his status s, noting that his luck had returo normal, and mused to himself:
“So that’s how it is…”
“Seems like Ralph has some stories of his own. I wonder what surprises he’ll bring.”
“Ah, just like a pyer digging up hiddes…”
