Chapter 171

Words : 1579 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 171: Chapter 171 Seeing the man drawing closer, Clayton was certain that if he let this continue, trouble would inevitably follow. Without a second thought, he turned on his heel and made for a safer place. The sly figure watching him curled his lips into a sly grin, as if satisfied with something. "Hehehe... looks like this kid isn’t completely stupid. But let’s see... can you really hold out?" he said in a mocking tone. The sly figure kept running, dodging the attacks of those chasing him, all while keeping Clayton in his sights. For a moment, the scene looked almost comical—like a group of people playing cat and mouse. The area was crowded, making it hard for Clayton to maneuver. The sly figure, however, seemed well-practiced in running and evading, his movements agile and efficient. It didn’t take long for him to close the gap between them. Realizing this, Clayton braced himself for an incoming strike. But as he waited for the man to attack, something strange happened—the sly figure simply dashed past him, as if he didn’t care at all. Clayton froze. What’s that supposed to mean? he wondered. He stayed alert,suspicious that the man might be trying to lull him into lowering his guard. Yet after several moments, the sly figure still made no move to attack him. Clayton began to doubt his own assumption. "Did I misunderstand?" he muttered. Just as he was lost in thought, an attack came flying straight at him. Startled, Clayton snapped to his senses and dodged. Bang! He turned toward the source and was shocked to see that it wasn’t the sly figure attacking him, but one of the people chasing that man. His confusion deepened. But there was no time to dwell on it—another attack was already incoming. He dodged instinctively. He had just started thinking things might settle down when suddenly a dozen chaotic strikes came at him from all directions. Clayton cursed under his breath. "Damn it, what the hell’s going on?! Why are you all attacking me?!" Those nearby heard him, but none responded. Their eyes remained fixed on something behind him. The attacks were already too close; Clayton had no choice but to dodge desperately. Bang! Swoosh! Boom! He managed to avoid several stray strikes, but there were too many. Inevitably, one of them hit him. "Arghhh!" he cried out in pain. Irritated, Clayton decided to retreat far enough to tend to his injuries. He managed to put some distance between himself and the chaos, but before he could catch his breath, another dozen wild attacks came his way. "Damn it! Are you toying with me?!" He quickly activated his water-circulation armor and dodged again. A few attacks still landed, but the damage was minimal thanks to the armor’s protection. Once he steadied himself, he shouted angrily, "Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing messing with me like this?! Keep it up and you’ll regret it!" Still, no one responded. Their eyes stayed locked on whatever was behind him. Frowning, Clayton turned—and there stood the sly figure. For a brief moment, he was stunned. Then rage flared in his chest. Now he understood—he had been used as a human shield! Seething, Clayton fired a water cannon at him. Swoosh! The sly figure didn’t get angry; instead, he smiled in amusement. He slipped aside effortlessly, letting the attack miss. Clayton fired again, this time launching marble-sized water projectiles at high speed—but the man dodged them with ease. Frustrated, Clayton wanted to unleash his tracking-entry effect or summon his skeletal minions for support. But he hesitated—there were too many people around. If he revealed his trump cards now, the element of surprise would be gone, and he’d become an easy target. He wavered, unsure of his next move. Meanwhile, the sly figure moved again, unsettling the onlookers. They attacked him fiercely, eager to claim his head and deliver it to the noble families whose children he had killed. But many of their attacks still ended up hitting Clayton, while the true target darted about freely. Fed up, Clayton decided to retaliate. "Water Magic—Abyssal Vortex!" A mist of water swirled around him, building in strength before surging forward. The powerful spell disrupted many incoming strikes, halting them altogether. Nearby fighters were dragged into the vortex, plunging the area into chaos. Seeing his chance, Clayton broke away from the fight. He was finally far from the sly figure, and relief washed over him. But his instincts were right—the man didn’t relent. He sprinted toward Clayton again, launching attacks meant to slow him down. The battlefield became a mess: people striking at the sly figure, while he in turn targeted Clayton. Disgusted, Clayton refused to hold back any longer. He was ready to unleash everything he had. Suddenly, the sly figure sent a massive wave of water crashing toward him. Clayton wanted to dodge, but his escape route was blocked by surrounding fighters and the man’s calculated positioning. With no other choice, he decided to counter and defend at the same time. A massive wave of his own collided with the incoming one, weakening it—but the attack still surged toward him. Anticipating this, Clayton quickly summoned a water dome to shield himself. Bang! The wave slammed into the dome, sending a powerful tremor rippling through it. Fortunately, the sly figure’s attack had already been weakened by Clayton beforehand. Otherwise, his water dome might never have withstood the force. Exhausted from the relentless assault, Clayton suddenly spotted a crimson mass of water hurtling toward him at incredible speed. His eyes widened in shock and fear—he was certain it was the sly figure’s counterattack. He instinctively tried to dodge, but the strike was far too fast. It was already too late. Splash! Clayton’s eyes bulged in horror, his body frozen stiff. He was sure this was the end for him. Yet, strangely, he was completely unharmed. "Huh?" Clayton muttered in confusion. He quickly checked himself and realized the attack had indeed struck him—it wasn’t an illusion. The odd thing was that, despite its speed and apparent lethality, it hadn’t injured him at all. Clayton frowned. He could faintly smell the metallic tang of blood mixed with the scent of iron in the red water soaking his body. Curious, he turned toward the source of the attack and saw the sly figure staring at him intently. Clayton froze, uncertain of the other’s intentions. When their eyes met, the figure’s lips curled into a knowing smile. Something felt wrong. Clayton noticed the figure’s lips moving slightly, as though chanting a spell, before stretching into a wide grin. His confusion only deepened. Suddenly, a blinding light flared across his body, accompanied by vivid, unmistakable stigma marks. Startled, Clayton hurriedly inspected himself and discovered that the pheasant’s blood he had applied earlier had completely dissolved from the strike. Panic surged through him. Did he know about it from the start? Clayton wondered. And... why is he targeting me? Just because it’s me? Or is he trying to shift the danger onto me? One question after another flooded his mind, driving him to frustration. Uneasy, Clayton looked back at the sly figure—only to see him grinning broadly and muttering something under his breath. Even from a distance, Clayton could clearly read his lips: "Enjoy yourself." Clayton’s jaw tightened. "Damn it! Enjoy what?!" He knew without a doubt that he was in serious trouble. As his gaze swept the surroundings, he noticed a group of people staring at him—at first in shock, then with eyes brimming with greed and obsession. A shiver of discomfort ran down his spine, but there was no undoing what had happened. He could only steel himself—mentally and physically—for the worst to come. The greedy mob charged toward him, ready to strike. Clayton’s instincts flared into high alert. But before they could reach him, a sudden tremor shook the ground. Stones around him began to rise, forming interconnected walls. Within moments, a vast stone labyrinth of ancient design emerged. Clayton’s chest tightened with fear at the thought of being trapped inside, with no way to escape his pursuers. Grim-faced, he muttered through clenched teeth as his gaze locked on the grinning figure. "Damn it... this is all because of that sly bastard!" While Clayton panicked over what might happen, the people around him—having recovered from their shock at the sudden movement of the ground—began to calm down. They realized the tremor was neither violent nor life-threatening. With that realization, the group’s attention shifted back to Clayton and the sly figure—both seen as valuable assets, since they could be traded to the nobles for a hefty sum. The crowd hesitated briefly, ensuring the "quake" posed no real danger, before surging toward where Clayton and the sly man were. In an instant, the mob split into two: those closer to Clayton gave chase to him, while those nearer the sly man pursued him instead. Clayton no longer had the time to worry about the other man. The only thing he knew now was that he had to run. He sprinted with all his strength, desperately hoping to make it out alive. As he ran, a flicker of curiosity made him glance over his shoulder—only to see a dozen terrifying attacks hurtling toward him at breakneck speed. The sight sent a sharp prickle racing across his scalp. "Uhhh... isn’t this a bit much?" Clayton thought uneasily as he watched the incoming onslaught.

Chapter 171

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