Chapter 328: Assassination gone wrong

When Asher vanished, both men were momentarily confused. They had been certain that Asher should not be able to use his spatial magic inside the barrier, yet he had disappeared right in front of their eyes.

However, before they could think any further, Asher suddenly appeared directly in front of them.

Without giving them any time to react, he swung his giant mana claw towards both of them.

The mana claw was enormous, almost half the size of their bodies, and the black fog covering it made it look even more intimidating.

Both men immediately raised their swords to block the incoming attack.

BANG!

Their swords successfully blocked the claw, but the force behind the strike was simply too overwhelming, even for Diamond-rank fighters like them.

The impact sent both men flying backwards towards the barrier surrounding the area. Their bodies slammed into its surface with a heavy thud, causing the entire barrier to tremble slightly from the impact.

The force of the collision was so tremendous that both men felt several bones crack under the pressure. They fell to the ground, struggling to regain their composure as they coughed up small amounts of blood.

’Just how can a Gold-rank student have this much force behind his attacks?’

One of the men thought as he struggled to lift his head and look at Asher, who was now standing where they had been just a moment ago.

’That mana claw is almost as hard as metal, and it must weigh at least hundreds of kilograms!’

He couldn’t understand how someone of Asher’s apparent rank could produce such an attack. The strength behind that single strike was far beyond what he had expected.

Both men slowly struggled to their feet, staring at Asher with expressions filled with disbelief and fear.

They had initially thought that assassinating a student would be a relatively simple task, especially when they had the advantage of surprise and possessed Diamond-rank strength.

Yet, after only a few exchanges, they were already struggling to deal with their target.

Meanwhile, Asher began walking towards them with calm steps, his expression as composed as ever.

The two men couldn’t understand what he was doing.

’Why is he walking towards us?’

’Can’t he just teleport inside this barrier?’

The thought made them even more uneasy.

Both men exchanged a quick glance and prepared to lunge towards Asher again. Regardless of what had happened, they couldn’t afford to give up now. Their families were still in the hands of the Demons, and if they failed their mission, they knew what awaited them.

However, just as they were about to move, they suddenly felt something pressing against their bodies from every direction.

At first, the pressure was barely noticeable.

But before either of them could understand what was happening, it began increasing rapidly.

Their expressions changed as they felt their bodies becoming heavier, as though an invisible force was pushing down on them while simultaneously pressing against them from all sides.

They tried to resist the pressure, but it only grew stronger.

Within a few moments, both men were forced down onto their knees.

And before they could even begin to understand what was happening, the pressure increased again, forcing them completely onto the ground.

Their bodies were now pressed against the ground as though they were metal objects being pulled towards a powerful magnet.

They tried to raise their heads, move their arms, or even shift their bodies by an inch, but none of their attempts succeeded.

Every movement became a struggle.

And whenever they attempted to exert more strength to lift themselves off the ground, the pressure seemed to increase even further, making it difficult for them to even breathe properly.

They could feel their bodies straining under the immense force, and the pain made it clear that continuing to resist would only make their condition worse.

Both men eventually stopped struggling.

They remained lying on the ground, unable to move even a single inch, while the pressure continued to hold them firmly in place.

They couldn’t even turn their heads to look around and figure out what was happening.

The only thing they could hear was the calm sound of Asher’s footsteps as he slowly approached them.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Each step brought him closer.

Meanwhile, the minds of both men were gradually falling into disarray.

They couldn’t understand what had just happened. Only a short while ago, they had been the ones attacking Asher and were at an advantage, confident that their superior ranks would allow them to complete their task.

Now, they couldn’t even move a finger.

"Just what is happening? Is he controlling gravity or something?"

One of the men finally managed to speak, although even that simple action required considerable effort.

His voice sounded strained as he struggled to get the words out.

The other man, who was experiencing the same pressure, took a moment to gather his breath before answering in an equally strained tone.

"It’s not gravity. It’s something else. The pressure is acting from every direction; I don’t understand exactly what he just did."

He paused to take a deep breath, and then continued, "It feels as though he’s controlling all the mana around us and using it to suppress us."

The man tried to gather his mana, hoping that he could somehow cast a spell to break free. However, the moment he attempted to form the spell, the mana he had gathered dispersed before it could take shape.

He couldn’t even complete the simplest spell.

"I can’t use any spells either," he continued in a weak voice. "My mana keeps scattering before I can even form the spell."

As the two men struggled to understand their situation, the sound of footsteps finally stopped right beside them.

A calm voice reached their ears.

"Well, you’re right."

It was Asher.

He was now standing directly beside the two men, looking down at them with a relaxed expression.

At that moment, Asher was controlling all the natural mana within the entire barrier.

He wasn’t merely using his own mana to suppress the two men. Instead, he was manipulating the natural mana surrounding them, directing it to exert pressure on their bodies while simultaneously using his own mana too.

At the same time, he was interfering with the mana of both men, which they used to form spells, disrupting their attempts to gather and control it.

Whenever they tried to cast a spell, their mana was scattered before they could complete the process. The mana they attempted to gather was disrupted, while the surrounding mana continued to respond to Asher’s control.

They weren’t simply being restrained by an invisible force.

Their ability to fight back was being suppressed at its very source.

And as long as Asher maintained his control over the mana within the barrier, neither of them would be able to escape through ordinary means.

When both men heard Asher’s calm response, their hearts filled with a mixture of confusion and fear.

They had finally begun to realize that the situation was far worse than they had initially imagined.

They had thought they were hunting a Gold-rank student.

But the being standing before them was now controlling the entire nature as though it belonged to him.