Chapter 146: The Struggle for the Golden Flame [2]

"Since when did the Inferno Prison Secret Realm become your family’s property?"

Victor’s voice carried across the lava, reaching the three professionals on the opposite side and immediately making the atmosphere tense.

The middle-aged man dressed in dark-red mage robes did not answer right away.

His attention first fell on the Crimson Flame Fang in Victor’s hand before shifting to his face.

"Young man, courage is a good thing, but you need the strength to back it up."

The man raised his staff, and the fire-attribute crystal at its tip began emitting a crimson glow.

"I’ll warn you one last time. Leave this place. That flame isn’t something you can lay your hands on."

Victor remained unfazed. "You sound so confident. I almost thought you’d already gotten your hands on it."

"Are you looking for death?" The Level 35 swordsman standing nearby finally lost his patience.

Stepping forward, he drew the broad-bladed sword from his back.

"Captain, why waste your breath on this brat? Why don’t we just drive him out?"

"Don’t be hasty."

The middle-aged mage raised a hand to stop him, though his patience was clearly wearing thin.

"Since he refuses to leave, teach him a lesson. Remember, don’t kill him."

The two swordsmen exchanged glances before advancing toward Victor along separate rocky paths around the basin’s perimeter.

The basin was not completely enclosed. Several narrow natural rock paths connected the surrounding areas, although sections had already been eroded by lava. One careless step could send someone plunging into the molten rock below.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged mage remained on the elevated ground across the basin, making no move to follow his companions.

Victor took note of all three positions and tightened his grip on the Crimson Flame Fang.

If he were facing only one of them, he might still have a chance to hold his own through his talents and skills. Confronting three Second Tier professionals simultaneously, however, especially when they occupied advantageous terrain, was an entirely different matter.

The mage was particularly troublesome.

Judging from the way he had assessed the earth veins earlier, the man clearly possessed extensive exploration experience and was no ordinary academy student.

Taking a high tier natural flame from someone like that would certainly not be easy.

However, Victor’s gaze passed over the two swordsmen and settled on the black stone mound at the center of the basin.

Now that he had found his target, there was no reason to leave empty-handed.

"Attack!"

At the middle-aged mage’s command, both swordsmen quickened their pace.

The first to charge was the tall Level 35 swordsman.

The broad-bladed sword in his hand was a full meter and a half long, its heavy blade covered in dark-red mana. As he swung it with tremendous force, a powerful gust surged directly toward Victor!

Rather than meet the attack head-on, Victor shifted sideways, avoiding the blade while sweeping the Crimson Flame Fang upward in a counterattack.

Clang!

The two swords collided, and a piercing metallic sound echoed between the rock walls.

The impact sent a powerful force through Victor’s sword, causing his wrist to sink sharply. Even the rock beneath his feet developed a thin crack.

Although the attack had been fast, its trajectory was not particularly complicated.

Using the recoil from the collision, Victor deliberately retreated, narrowly avoiding a thrust from the second swordsman approaching from the side.

"Not bad reflexes!" The tall swordsman sneered and pressed his attack.

The two had clearly fought together many times.

One maintained pressure from the front while the other searched for openings in Victor’s defense. After several coordinated exchanges, they managed to force him back repeatedly.

Yet neither of them was his most troublesome opponent.

Buzz!

As Victor prepared to reposition himself, a faint mana vibration came from above.

He glanced up sharply. Six crimson fireballs, each the size of a fist, had appeared in midair without his noticing. Thin lines of flame connected them, forming an attack zone that was steadily contracting.

In the distance, the middle-aged mage raised his staff.

"Flame Pattern Locking Formation."

At his low command, all six fireballs descended simultaneously!

Victor immediately sensed that something was wrong.

The fireballs were not intended to strike him directly. Instead, they were restricting his movements.

If he continued fighting the two swordsmen, he would soon be forced into the center of the spell’s coverage.

"Quite a practiced combination."

Rather than retreat any farther, Victor turned and rushed toward a relatively narrow rocky passage on his left.

"Trying to run?" The Level 35 swordsman smirked as he gave chase.

Before he could close the distance, however, Victor abruptly slowed and leaned backward, allowing the incoming broad-bladed sword to sweep past his chest.

He planted his right foot against a protruding rock beside him, using the momentum of his rotation to slide the Crimson Flame Fang along his opponent’s blade and slash toward his wrist!

The tall swordsman’s expression changed, and he hurriedly withdrew his weapon.

Slash!

The sharp blade cut through his wrist guard, leaving a shallow, bloody wound.

"Bastard!"

Roaring in fury, the swordsman prepared to attack again, only to discover that Victor had already used the exchange to widen the distance between them.

Before Victor could catch his breath, all six crimson fireballs overhead flared!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A pillar of flame shot from one of the fireballs and slammed into the rock directly ahead of him!

A second followed, then a third!

The flames did not track Victor’s movements. Instead, they accurately sealed off several positions he had intended to pass through.

Within seconds, the narrow rocky path that had barely remained passable was engulfed in scorching flames.

Victor was forced to stop, giving the two swordsmen enough time to close in once more.

He had to change the situation.

Instead of focusing solely on the enemies before him, Victor surveyed the rocks beneath his feet and the churning lava in the distance.

Moments earlier, the pale golden flame had disappeared into the depths of the lava once again, accompanied by a brief decrease in the exceptionally dense fire-element mana surrounding the basin.

Although the change had lasted only an instant, his High Level Fire Element Affinity had allowed him to perceive it clearly.

Even more interestingly...

Victor raised his head toward the six floating fireballs.

The glow on the surface of one of them had fluctuated slightly during that same moment.

...

"Captain, there’s something strange about this brat."

The Level 35 swordsman stopped and glanced at his damaged wrist guard, his expression ugly.

After several exchanges, he had realized that although Victor was clearly weaker than him in physical strength, his grasp of attack timing was astonishing.

In particular, his ability to predict attack trajectories had caused several strikes that should have been certain hits to miss completely.

The middle-aged mage had noticed this as well.

"Don’t compete with him in swordsmanship."

His voice was cold. "Force him toward the broken rocks on the western side."

At the order, the two swordsmen adjusted their movements.

Victor showed no outward reaction, but his vigilance increased.

The broken rocks on the western side formed a dangerous area near the center of the basin.

After being eroded by lava for so long, only a few connected sections of black rock remained. One wrong step could easily send someone into the molten lava below.

Deliberately forcing him there meant they wanted more than merely to cut off his retreat.

"Trying to use me to test the path?" Victor sneered inwardly.

It seemed these people were even greedier than he had imagined.

However, since they had taken the initiative to choose a route toward the stone mound for him, there was no reason to refuse their kindness.

Victor withdrew the sword he had been preparing to strike with, turned, and rushed toward the western rocky path.

The Level 35 swordsman was delighted.

"He’s fallen for it!"

"Follow him!"

Both swordsmen gave chase, unaware that they were the ones being tricked.