’Fu*k, it’s too late,’ Azrael cursed as he saw a yellow-haired man thrusting a pitch-black dagger straight at his chest.
The dagger was forged from condensed darkness, emitting a foul, corrosive smoke that seemed to devour the air around it.
In an instant, the dagger reached him, aiming to pierce his chest. But just before it could strike—
The Eclipse Mantle he was wearing shimmered briefly, and its first passive effect activated.
---) Eclipse Mantle (Epic-Level Artifact): A flowing black cloak woven from the silk of the shadow spider and night ore.
---) Level Requirement: Level 15 and above
---) Passive Effects:
1. Grants the user the ability to phase through energy-based attacks once every five minutes (damage negated).
2. Boosts the user’s agility by 20% while equipped.
---) Active Skill – Umbral Rift: Once per day, the user can step into shadow and reappear anywhere within 300 meters instantly, ignoring barriers.
Azrael’s body suddenly turned transparent, allowing the dagger made from the condensed darkness to pass harmlessly through him.
"What?!" The yellow-haired man’s face registered shock as his surprise attack failed and he immediately tried to pull back, his movements frantic.
However, Azrael did not give him the chance to retreat. Just after avoiding the attack with the help of the Eclipse Mantle, he swung his fist, aiming directly at the man’s face.
At such close range, the man had no opportunity to dodge, and Azrael’s fist struck squarely against his face.
But the moment his fist connected, Azrael’s expression changed because—
The man’s body suddenly dissolved into a cloud of black smoke and vanished from sight.
Everything had happened in less than two seconds, leaving everyone, including Elyara, Luo Bingqing, and the security forces completely stunned.
But they quickly regained their senses and took immediate action.
Luo Bingqing swiftly created three ice walls around them, leaving only the front open, preventing the man who had disappeared from sneaking an attack.
At the same time, a mass of golden light gathered in Elyara’s palm, and she flung it upward.
The mass of golden light exploded into a brilliant radiance, instantly illuminating the entire underground area as if a miniature sun had risen inside. Latest content publıshed on novel⚑fire.net
As the underground chamber was bathed in light, they noticed a faint figure becoming visible at a distance and the eyes of Azrael and the others immediately turned cold.
"Are you all right?" Luo Bingqing finally asked Azrael in a low voice, keeping a wary eye on the yellow-haired man.
"I am fine," Azrael replied, nodding while fixing his gaze on the man with icy resolve.
’His aim was slightly off to my heart... which means he didn’t intend to kill me,’ Azrael thought inwardly, though the coldness in his eyes did not lessen. ’But to be stabbed so close to my heart with a dagger made of condensed darkness...’
A flicker of killing intent ignited in Azrael’s eyes as he realized that if the Eclipse Mantle hadn’t protected him, even if he hadn’t died, he would have been severely injured and completely immobilized.
"Wait!... Wait a minute, Captain Harin!" At that moment, Ralph shouted in a panicked voice and rushed forward. "Captain, they are not from the Transcendent Organization. They are students of the Slayers Academy who discovered this hideout!"
"Huh?" The yellow-haired man, Harin, froze, visibly startled by Ralph’s words. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Captain," Ralph nodded firmly. "They just showed their student ID before you arrived."
Harin remained silent for a moment, then looked at Azrael and the others, speaking in a sincere tone.
"Please forgive me. When I saw you weren’t the people who entered with Colonel Morrison, I assumed you were affiliated with the Transcendent Organization and attacked."
Luo Bingqing and Elyara frowned slightly at Harin’s words. Even though it had been a mistake, Azrael could have been gravely injured.
They remained silent, watching Azrael, who was staring at Harin coldly.
’A misunderstanding, huh...’ Azrael sneered inwardly as due to his traits, he could feel that Harin was lying; he was fully aware of their identities before attacking them.
"What should we do?" Elyara asked softly, her hand resting on her bow. It was clear that if Azrael decided to attack, she would follow without hesitation.
Luo Bingqing mirrored her stance, waiting patiently for Azrael’s response.
Seeing Azrael and the others remain silent, Harin apologized again.
"I once again apologize for the misunderstanding..." He paused, then asked, "But can you tell me what happened inside? Why is the entrance to the ruins collapsing, and what happened to Colonel Morrison and the others who entered with him?"
Azrael ignored Harin’s question entirely, his mind calculating rapidly.
’If this had happened before, it would have been difficult to face a level 45 epic-level warrior. But now...’
Without hesitation, Azrael turned to Luo Bingqing and Elyara and spoke calmly.
"Take care of the class-level warriors. If they try to interfere, kill them."
"Huh?" Both of them were momentarily taken aback, but they quickly understood his plan.
"Don’t worry," Azrael cut Luo Bingqing off mid-sentence. "It will be over in a flash."
Harin frowned, noticing that Azrael and the others were not answering his question and were speaking among themselves in low voices.
He opened his mouth to speak again, but suddenly saw Azrael take a step forward.
"You asked where Morrison and the others from the security forces are, right?"
Harin felt a strange sense of unease at Azrael’s words, but he nodded. "Right. If you know anything about them, I would appreciate it if you could tell me."
"Well, there is not much to say," Azrael replied indifferently, his eyes narrowing. "How about I send you to meet them so you can ask them yourself?"
"Wha—" Harin started, confused, but before he could finish, a wave of crisis swept over him.
"After all, hearing from them in person would be much better than listening to us," Azrael’s voice reached him again, but this time, instead of coming from the front, it came from behind him.