Chapter 600 - 364: New Mission, Protect Liu Xuan?

Chapter 600: Chapter 364: New Mission, Protect Liu Xuan?

Carl and Jabari of the American and African Regions fixed their gazes on the entrance to the underground pipe, eager to see MacLeod emerge.

They watched for a full five minutes.

But MacLeod never appeared. Instead, a Round Table Knight who had just arrived emerged from the opening.

Immediately after, a Floating Vehicle bearing the emblem of the Round Table Conference slowly descended, hovering directly over the opening.

Carl and Jabari noticed the vehicle’s emergency hatch open on its underside.

Once the vehicle had completely lowered, no one could see what was happening.

Before long, the vehicle ascended once more.

It was obvious that MacLeod had taken the opportunity to board the Floating Vehicle.

Witnessing this scene, it wasn’t just the two Tier Fours, Carl and Jabari, who were shocked and suspicious. Everyone watching found it incredible.

MacLeod—leader of the Round Table, Grand Knight Commander, and a Tier Four Peak Gray Knight—had actually retreated in such an unseemly fashion.

This likely meant MacLeod was in such a sorry state that he didn’t want anyone to see him.

The onlookers began to murmur amongst themselves.

"What’s going on? The Grand Knight Commander retreated like *that*? Could it be..."

"How could the great Gray Knight be defeated so quickly? It hasn’t even been five minutes since the fight began, has it?"

"Just what is the background of this Highest-Level Mercenary Corps?"

Given the nature of his retreat, some naturally guessed MacLeod’s true condition.

But Carl and Jabari, both peak Tier Fours, had a different take.

"I didn’t sense the aura of the Sword in the Stone. I refuse to believe any Tier Four in this world could defeat MacLeod before he even had a chance to draw it."

"My thinking is similar to yours. This could be a smokescreen from MacLeod. He’s deliberately feigning weakness."

"What is MacLeod up to? Does he want us to underestimate his strength? No... not his strength. He wants us to underestimate the strength of the Mercenary Corps the Eastern Alliance hired."

"If I’m not mistaken, once MacLeod gets back, he’ll negotiate with our two regions on behalf of the European Administrative Region. He’ll want us to join forces against the Asian Administrative Region—or rather, against the Eastern Alliance."

The two wily old powerhouses exchanged a look, certain they had seen through MacLeod’s scheme.

Soon, their figures flickered and vanished from the vicinity of the S-Class Pharmacy Society Mansion. Using their own unique methods, they returned to their respective territories to report.

...

Lin Qi had already escorted Liu Xuan to his room, but he didn’t linger.

Upon arriving at the room, Lin Qi saw the blue light in Liu Xuan’s left eye intensify. Only after he told her he was returning to the lab did the blue light subside.

"Be careful."

These were Liu Xuan’s parting words.

Lin Qi gave a solemn nod and headed down the 66th-floor corridor toward the Circular Experimental Field.

Along the way, Lin Qi focused his attention on the temporary chat window for the Highest-Level Mercenary Corps.

King Arthur: "I’ve withdrawn safely. Master, how are you?"

Master Ma: "I’m not dying anytime soon, but I’ll need medical attention. By the way, @Wizard, thanks for the assist. If you hadn’t helped, I might have been out of commission for the next half a month. Now, I just need a new Prosthetic Body implanted, and I can recover about sixty percent of my combat effectiveness."

As soon as he completed his escape, Master Ma reconnected to the Highest-Level Mercenary Corps’ temporary chat.

Lin Qi casually scanned his surroundings with his Spiritual Vision. Seeing that Baili Xueyuan was gone without a trace, he immediately guessed what had happened.

After a moment of thought, Lin Qi typed his reply.

Wizard: "The opponent was very strong. I couldn’t intervene directly. If another battle of this caliber happens, I’ll still only be able to assist from the shadows, just like today."

Master Ma: "That’s more than enough. My combat effectiveness is damaged, but @King Arthur, yours should have increased significantly, right?"

King Arthur: "While wielding the Sword in the Stone, my combat effectiveness is no less than Master Ma’s was just now. But using it comes at a price."

King Arthur: "@Wizard, it’s all thanks to you. Otherwise, even if Master Ma and I had put our lives on the line, we never could have taken the Sword in the Stone from MacLeod. I will absolutely keep the promise I made to you."

Wizard: "It was just a fair trade. Besides, as a Wizard Professional, my conflict with the Round Table Conference is irreconcilable."

The three of them chatted briefly.

Through their exchange, Capitalist, who wasn’t present, instantly understood the battle’s outcome.

With Wizard’s covert intervention, they had achieved a great victory, even though Master Ma was injured.

They had even managed to snatch the Sword in the Stone from MacLeod!

This was tantamount to grinding the European Administrative Region’s face into the dirt.

A strange glint flashed in Qiao Xi’s eyes. She could already imagine the expressions and words of the European Big Business Alliance representatives when the world peace conference officially began tomorrow.

There was bound to be a fierce war of words, but that was one of her greatest strengths.

She might even be able to use this incident to properly ridicule the Europeans.

At this thought, Qiao Xi’s mood brightened considerably.

As she did, Qiao Xi subconsciously glanced at the messages from "Wizard," and the unusual light in her eyes grew even more distinct.

’To have such an effect just by intervening from the shadows? To directly influence a Tier Four Peak like MacLeod... perhaps Wizard really is... Tier Five.’