Chapter 44: Thieves vs. Mages 3

Kent watched as Dark Blade and the Poison Thorn Python twisted together in a desperate struggle.

The battle left him completely astonished.

Whether it was Dark Blade’s movements or the Poison Thorn Python’s reactions, everything was so intense that Kent became completely absorbed in watching.

It was far more exciting than any fantasy movie he had ever seen.

However, the filthy water splashing in every direction and the constant sounds of bodies rolling and crashing reminded him that this was not a movie.

This was a real battle.

“Roar!”

Dark Blade possessed fifth-level battle energy, so he was not afraid of the Poison Thorn Python’s attempts to constrict him.

But what truly concerned him were the python’s fangs and venom.

Therefore, Dark Blade had no choice but to tightly wrap both arms around the Poison Thorn Python’s head, preventing it from biting him.

The creature’s venomous fangs were no joke.

“Damn bastard! You filthy creature! You piece of trash!”

Dark Blade circulated all of his battle energy.

A layer of black light appeared around his arms.

Then, from his fingertips, several black spikes emerged.

With all his strength, he drove those spikes into the Poison Thorn Python’s neck.

This was Dark Blade’s ultimate technique.

His battle energy belonged to the dark element, a type of energy with extremely powerful corrosive properties.

The area where the Poison Thorn Python was struck began to release black smoke.

Slowly, the flesh started to dissolve, eventually revealing white bones underneath.

This was the terrifying characteristic of dark-element professionals—

corrosion.

The Poison Thorn Python sensed the approaching threat of death.

Driven by instinct, it struggled even more violently.

For a moment, the entire small stream was thrown into chaos.

Mud, water, and stones were sent flying everywhere as the giant python thrashed desperately.

However, the corrosive effect of Dark Blade’s dark battle energy was concentrated behind the python’s head.

Not long afterward, the giant serpent finally weakened.

Its struggles gradually stopped.

Dark Blade climbed onto a large stone nearby and began breathing heavily.

He looked completely exhausted.

“What is this guy doing? Is he planning to run?”

“Couldn’t this have been the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack? Is he seriously just going to lie there?”

Kent was confused.

In reality, during the battle with the giant python, Dark Blade had been fighting for two reasons.

The first was because he had no choice.

The second was because he wanted to lure Kent out.

Dark Blade had accidentally discovered that there was a Mole Beast beside Kent.

This was something he had detected through his perception and sense of smell.

Dark Blade could identify the type of magical beast hundreds of meters away.

The reason he had encountered the Poison Thorn Python was simply because he had been too impatient.

“Hmm... he’s going to run.”

Through his perception, Dark Blade sensed that the magical energy source representing Kent was moving farther and farther away.

Perception was something every professional had to possess.

Dark Blade immediately stood up.

But at that very moment—

he suddenly felt an intense magical fluctuation.

His body reacted instantly.

He threw himself into a roll to the side.

However, he was still too slow.

Dark Blade felt a cold sensation sweep across the right side of his face.

Then came a sharp, unbearable pain.

Kent had actually been feeling frustrated.

How could a thief who was supposedly only around fifth level fight a Poison Thorn Python for such a long time?

The answer became obvious when he saw the area of the python’s body that had been corroded.

To release battle energy outside the body, one had to be at least a mid-level professional.

And dark-element professionals possessed additional combat advantages because of their special abilities.

Then Kent noticed Big Nose beside him.

At that moment, he suddenly understood everything.

He immediately sent Big Nose to find Delis.

Although Kent could perfectly conceal his own magical fluctuations, Big Nose was only a first-level magical beast.

Its presence could not be hidden.

The instant Dark Blade stood up, Kent launched his wind blade.

But in that extremely brief moment, Dark Blade relied entirely on his years of combat experience and barely managed to avoid the attack.

However—

the wind blade still sliced away half of his ear.

“Damn it! I’m going to kill you!”

Dark Blade was furious beyond words.

Ignoring the blood pouring from his injured ear, he charged straight into the forest.

Because once again, he had sensed another source of magical energy moving rapidly away.

And this time, it was moving incredibly fast.

However, the moment Dark Blade entered the forest, another violent magical fluctuation suddenly appeared.

There was no way for him to avoid it in midair.

He could only force himself to endure the attack.

Then Dark Blade saw a series of wind blades flying directly toward him.

“Ah! I’m going to skin you alive!”

This time, Dark Blade clearly saw a figure quickly disappearing into the forest.

Dark Blade was already somewhat famous within the Thieves’ Guild.

Yet today, he had actually been toyed with by a first-level mage.

He did not even care about the wounds caused by the wind blades.

Unfortunately, thieves could only endure magic attacks head-on.

At this moment, Dark Blade’s clothes were torn apart, and blood was flowing from wounds all over his body.

If he had not reached the fifth level, that single attack would probably have taken his life.

“What kind of monster is this?”

“So many magic scrolls... and yet he himself doesn’t release any magical fluctuations.”

“Could he have some kind of magical item that conceals his magical presence?”

Dark Blade continued chasing the figure ahead.

At the same time, he finally realized what had actually attracted him earlier.

It was not a mage at all.

It was only a magic core.

A first-level magic core.

Hearing the angry shouts behind him, Kent ran even faster.

But as the sounds of pursuit grew closer and closer, Kent finally stopped.

He turned around and looked back.

Then he made up his mind.

He was not going to run anymore.

There was no way he could outrun a thief.

Now, all he could do was hope that Big Nose could move faster and buy him enough time to survive.

“Run! Why did you stop? Run!”

Dark Blade’s face was covered in blood.

His clothes were torn.

But he still kept a safe distance from Kent.

This strange mage had far too many secrets.

Dark Blade carefully examined the ground around him.

The scene of Klar’s group being killed by the magical trap was still fresh in his memory.

He was not going to make the same mistake twice.

Kent did not say anything.

He simply leaned against a large tree and breathed heavily.

Although Kent’s physical strength was much better than that of ordinary people, he had never received any serious combat training.

“By the eternal flame, forge the unmelting ice; let all things return to ashes, leaving only emptiness...”

Seeing that there was no other choice, Kent decided to pretend to cast a spell.

He deliberately began chanting a spell incantation.

“No magic scroll, and you’re dead!”

Dark Blade understood mages extremely well.

The moment he heard Kent begin chanting, he immediately charged forward.

His calculation was perfect.

A first-level mage needed at least two seconds to complete a spell chant.

But Dark Blade only needed a little over one second to reach him.

With a savage expression, Dark Blade shouted and launched himself forward.

“Haha, you fell for it.”

Kent suddenly waved his hand.

Several wind blades instantly appeared.

This time, Kent did not waste any mental energy controlling their trajectories.

He simply released them directly.

This was the battle strategy he had thought of earlier.

The stream was clearly not a good battlefield.

If Dark Blade escaped there and then returned later, things would become troublesome.

The shout he made was also meant as a signal.

If Alice, Delis, and the others had already escaped, they could use the direction of the sound to locate him.

“Instant cast?!”

Dark Blade almost felt like crying.

But despite his shock, his combat instincts reacted immediately.

He forcibly twisted his body and changed direction.

However, he was still hit.

Several more wounds appeared on his body.

The arm he used to protect his head and face suffered the worst injury.

A deep cut opened across it, and blood poured out.

In this world, thieves were natural counters to mages.

But that only applied to ordinary mages.

If a thief encountered a mage capable of instant-casting spells, then the thief was practically doomed.

At that moment, Dark Blade also regretted losing his hand crossbow.

But during his evasive roll, he made one final move.

The dagger in his right hand suddenly flew toward Kent.

A throwing knife.

Kent was not foolish.

The moment he released the magic, he immediately performed a roll to the side.

It was purely an instinctive reaction.

After all, he had watched far too many war movies.

So when Dark Blade’s dagger flew toward him, it completely missed its target and sank directly into the trunk of the large tree behind him.

The terrifying poison coating the dagger immediately began corroding the tree.

Black smoke rose from the damaged area as the wood rapidly decayed.

“What the hell? What kind of mage are you?!”

Dark Blade looked up.

To his disbelief, he saw Kent also rolling across the ground and getting back to his feet.

Meanwhile, Dark Blade’s ultimate throwing attack had magnificently struck nothing but a tree.

In Dark Blade’s understanding, mages simply did not roll around on the ground.

Even warriors would not normally do something like that.

That kind of movement belonged exclusively to thieves and assassins.

After all, thieves and assassins frequently had to deal with archers, so evasive movements were a basic survival skill for them.

But the mage standing before him was completely different.

Not only could he run at a speed comparable to a thief...

Not only could he instantly cast magic...

He could even roll across the ground like a trained assassin.

Dark Blade was beginning to wonder whether this person was truly a mage at all.