“Whoosh——whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”

  The air suddenly trembled, a strange wave spreading silently through the surroundings.

  It felt as though something was piercing through space itself.

  Silent, without light, invisible—

  One magic bullet after another, like ghosts, darted through the air, quietly encircling the entire battlefield.

  Not just a few, not even ten or twenty, but hundreds—and still increasing!

  At that moment, the entire battlefield seemed to be woven into an invisible web of deadly projectiles.

  Each bullet was precisely eerie, its trajectory as fluid as silk threads being pulled along.

  They moved without sound, without warning, specifically there to hunt, with the target locked on the seven black-clad figures.

  This wasn’t an attack; it was execution.

  Elo’s expression subtly changed, and even he couldn’t help but feel his heart tighten.

  —This isn’t magic combat. This is fucking technological slaughter!

  His mind instinctively flashed to one word: Normandy.

  The gunfire and machine gun nests of World War II suddenly felt gentle and approachable.

  At least, in Normandy, you could see the flames of fire.

  But now, these bullets—there wasn’t even a shadow of them.

  Only death was silently approaching.

  Elo was at a loss for words, inwardly cursing:

  — If these guys were thrown into the 21st century, who would still be fighting wars with conventional weapons?

  However, Xianzi Lin and San Niang did not retreat.

  They not only had to protect themselves, but also had to guard the survival of the other five companions.

  “Zheng—!”

  The sound of the zither exploded, killing intent surged, and the battle intent poured out like a tidal wave!

  With her ten fingers flying, sound waves intertwined into an invisible defensive barrier, layer upon layer, surrounding everyone, like an expanding sonic barricade.

  At this moment, the zither strings were no longer just a tool for killing, but a weapon for building a defense line.

  The sound-kill barrier, under their control, continued to expand, swirling like a storm, layers of energy surging, forming an indestructible defensive circle!

  “Bang! Bang bang—!”

  The first wave of magic bullets collided with the sound wave barrier, their trajectories suddenly deviating, as if an invisible hand had nudged them, sending them flying erratically toward the distance.

  But these magic bullets were incredibly exquisite, far beyond the magic bullets previously fired by the knights;

  Even with brief loss of control, their master could quickly correct the trajectory and re-lock the target!

  — Interference was not enough to win; they must be completely destroyed!

  “Zheng—!”

  The zither music played again, killing intent surging like a wave, and spiritual power transformed into sonic blades, directly piercing the core of the magic bullets’ control!

  The magic bullets shook violently, their energy flow instantly disrupted, as if struck by a heavy hammer, and the core stability collapsed in an instant!

  “Zing—!”

  The sound-kill converged, transforming into countless invisible sonic blades, piercing the air like a fierce storm, precisely slashing at the magical structure!

  In an instant, the magical energy operation was completely torn apart!

  “Boom—!”

  Energy spiraled out of control, and the magic bullets immediately disintegrated, with internal magical energy exploding like a wild tide!

  Fiery blue light particles scattered like stardust falling through the sky, beautiful yet carrying destruction.

  However, the battle was far from over—

  The magic bullets controlled by the two mages continued to rain down relentlessly, as dense as a sudden storm.

  Yet, amidst this invisible killing intent, there quietly mixed a few extremely dangerous entities—

  —Golden and pure white magic bullets!

  They, too, were hidden and invisible, indistinguishable from the other bullets, seemingly unremarkable.

  Only Elo could "see" them clearly: their insides pulsed with golden and white energy fluctuations, like two incredibly pure forces, stable and cold, resembling the fangs of a hunter hidden beneath a disguise.

  These special magic bullets had a sturdy structure, with an exceptionally stable core, making them impossible to destroy directly like ordinary bullets.

  Even more deadly was the fact that—if not detonated on contact, the golden and white energy would instantly repair their magical structure, allowing them to resume their attack!

  “Zheng—!”

  San Niang and Xianzi Lin sensed these hidden threats!

  The zither music changed abruptly, sound waves crisscrossing like blades, killing intent compressed to the extreme,forming into invisible—

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  — Killing Intent Hidden Needles!

  Silent and invisible, yet precisely locking onto the core of the golden and white magic bullets.

  “Whoosh—!”

  The Killing Intent Hidden Needles shot through the air like lightning, instantly piercing into the internal structure of those magic bullets!

  “Boom—!”

  In the next moment, the core shattered!

  Golden light exploded, and pure white magic energy turned into countless streams of light—

  — Scattering and drifting in the air, like celestial rain falling down, breathtakingly beautiful, yet it was death dancing.

  Elo’s gaze followed the barely perceptible golden and white energy lines, tracing them back to their source—

  On the distant rooftop, hidden from sight, was an invisible priest.

  He wore a military officer’s uniform, the black attire blending with the night like a silent iron wall, almost merging with the shadows, becoming one with the darkness.

  The edges of his epaulets shimmered faintly with dark gold embroidery;

  On his chest hung a cross-shaped insignia—

  —Silver and black-gold intertwined, casting a cold gleam in the glow of the battlefield flames.

  At his waist, a holy book was tightly bound with a metal clasp, as if sealing an unapproachable, forbidden decree.

  His military boots silently crushed the rooftop tiles, the brim of his hat obscuring half of his face;

  When the cold wind brushed by, his eyes, reflecting the firelight, revealed no warmth.

  He gazed down upon the battlefield, his eyes sharp like blades.

  There was not a trace of holiness, only cold control and judgment—

  Like a silent judge standing in the darkness, awaiting the moment to pronounce the final verdict.

  At the same time, Elo also “saw”—

  A massive concentration of golden energy was gathering around the priest, like a divine torrent surging under the blazing sun.

  But this wasn’t the preparation phase of a skill—he had already finished charging it. He could release it at any moment.

  This guy was waiting—waiting for the perfect moment to strike, to deliver that lethal blow at the most critical point.

  Releasing the skill now wouldn’t be enough to truly cripple the seven black-clad figures.

  At best, it would just cause some trouble and waste the value of the strike.

  And Elo’s intuition told him—this man was powerful.

  He wasn’t just good at long-range disruption, long-range attacks, or supporting allies—

  —Even his close-combat capabilities were probably second only to the boss!

  Elo’s expression twitched slightly as he couldn’t help but rant inwardly:

  —These local Transcendents have no manners at all!

  Mages don’t chant anymore—

  the moment the fight starts, they’re already firing a Magic Shell along with hundreds of invisible Magic Bullets.

  And for heaven’s sake, while pinpointing their targets with insane accuracy, they’re also casually stacking a mountain of buffs on themselves and their teammates.

  Priest no longer stay in the back chanting scriptures or whispering prayers—

  the moment they step onto the battlefield, their skills are fully charged and their killing intent cranked to the max.

  If necessary, they can even switch directly into frontline combat mode, taking on hundreds of enemies alone…

  How are the traditional casters—those who actually chant their spells—supposed to survive in a world like this?!

  He pictured it—

  Some unlucky apprentice who had just learned [Fireball], stepping onto the battlefield with high hopes and a firm belief in “the supremacy of magic.”

  The moment he raises his staff to chant—Boom!

  A Magic Shell from afar locks onto his head and vaporizes him on the spot, his ashes scattered in the wind.

  Or perhaps some devout young cleric, eyes filled with resolve, solemnly gripping a holy book, ready to recite the divine word:

  “The Lord sa—”

  Only to be grabbed by the throat by a stealthy enemy sneaking up from behind—one slight twist of the fingers, and he’s sent to meet God in person.

  At that thought, Elo rubbed his forehead and let out a long, weary sigh:

  —Traditional magic is dead, May it have more time to chant in heaven.

  Although Elo had a tendency to overthink, in reality, the time that had passed was negligible.

  —It had been less than 5 seconds since the [Lion’s Roar Technique] blasted through the air.

  However, with the enhancement of [Heart of the Strong Lv1], he was able to complete vast amounts of thinking and analysis in an instant.

  Battle analysis, enemy and ally status, tactical simulations, and even a bit of random daydreaming—everything was processed simultaneously without any confusion.

  It wasn’t just about accelerated thinking…

  If he wanted to, he could even casually pull out the snacks his mother had sent from the [System Backpack].

  Drinking soda and eating fries, leisurely watching the intense battle, and giving the enemy’s tactics a score on the side.

  But he didn’t do that, because it would have been incredibly disrespectful.

  The people on the battlefield, their CUP had already been overclocked to the limit, completely focused on their desperate life-and-death struggle.

  Every move was a fight for survival, every judgment a matter of life and death.

  And if he were here, casually munching snacks while watching the show…

  —Would that be appropriate? Of course not!

  Elo glanced at the "2v2 of the ranged group," and in an instant, he had already seen the situation—

  It was a tug-of-war in attack and defense, with probing and attrition dominating. In the short term, it was difficult to determine a winner.

  He didn’t linger, decisively shifting his attention to the other side—

  The "5v5 melee group" battlefield.

  The five knights had already infiltrated the combat zone, silently closing in like shadows wandering in a whirlpool of killing intent.

  The zither music howled like a storm, each note of the sonic blades sharp to the extreme, with killing intent solidified, tearing through the air with enough force to shatter bones and sever tendons.

  But those knights—did not move.

  They neither dodged nor blocked, not even taking the most basic defensive posture.

  They didn’t need to.

  Their amplifications had already been activated, their Transcendent enhancements stacking one after another, like an invisible barrier, tightly protecting them.

  Before the sonic blades reached them, their trajectories were silently diverted by the field, slanting harmlessly past their bodies;

  Before the internal energy and spiritual power could touch them, they were absorbed and converted by the energy net surrounding them, nourishing them instead;

  As for the sonic shockwaves and the vibrations of killing intent that enveloped the area—

  They had already been shattered and decomposed into nothingness the moment they made contact.

  They stood at the center of the storm, yet remained unmoved.

  In the killing formation, their robes were not even disturbed.

  This was their trust in each other—

  Each layer of protection came from the power of their comrades;

  Every step forward relied on collective coordination.

  In their eyes, there was no evasion, only forward movement;

  In their hearts, there was no hesitation, only offense!

  No need for hesitation, no need to be distracted—they entrusted everything to their tactical system, only needing to follow one thought:

  —Charge, forward!

  That belief, burning like raging fire, forged like steel.

  No retreat, no evasion, no death—only for this battle—to win!

  In fact, from the very beginning of the battle, Elo had divided some of his attention to observe the situation over there.

  However—compared to the clashing of steel and the physical confrontations of close combat, he had always preferred those grand scenes where light and shadow intertwined, and elements danced wildly.

  Whether it was the trickiness of invisible magic bullets, the ferocity of Magic Shells, or the invisible yet real sense of oppression from spiritual shockwaves, all of it fascinated him.

  These battles resembled the "fantasy" he had once imagined as a child—

  Brilliant, magnificent, dangerous, yet full of poetry.

  In contrast, close combat…

  Though more direct, more lethal, and more passionate, it always felt somewhat lacking in romance.

  And that romance, belonging to the “fantasy world,” had never faded from his heart:

  —The stunning and fantastical scenery, the vast and grand history;

  —The unknown adventures, the emotions deep within the soul;

  These things, like starlight, had always illuminated a corner of his heart.

  Of course, he knew that the real fantasy world would never be this beautiful.

  The battlefield before him was woven with blood and fire, death could strike at any moment, and everyone was struggling for survival.

  Reality was always colder and more brutal than fantasy.

  But even so, he still yearned for it.

  What he longed for was not the darkness and cruelty of this world, but the light hidden within fantasy.

  —The trust in back-to-back combat,

  —The faint glow still lit in the darkness,

  —The unwavering march forward, even in the face of merciless fate, refusing to be defined by the world.

  It was these faint yet touching things that made his sword intent ring.

  Yes, he yearned for battle.

  Not for slaughter, but to prove—that the fantasy was not just a fantasy.

  However, at this moment, he had no reason to join the fight.

  He simply watched quietly, his heart both elated and stirred with a sense of inexplicable emptiness.