"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
The arrows flew forward, collided with the Air Shield, slowed down sharply, and finally all stopped and embedded themselves within the Air Shield.
Bata looked back and was just about to say, "There really isn’t any danger," when suddenly his complexion changed.
The arrows that were originally embedded in the Air Shield and had stopped suddenly exploded, causing violent fluctuations in the Air Shield that threatened to shatter it.
Bata panicked, having not anticipated this transformation of the arrows.
At the door, Richard watched with a face that seemed to have seen through everything all along.
Yes, he had seen through it all.
Earlier, using the Eye of Gaze, he had seen through the hidden arrow mechanism in the hall and guessed that the arrows would not be ordinary, prompting him to warn Bata not to touch them recklessly. Bata didn’t listen, so there wasn’t much he could do about it, and now the outcome was all but confirmed.
The arrows in the hall were likely made using the Black Spirit Empire’s Magic Material. Compared to regular arrows, they were more akin to Magic-breaking Arrows, with greater power. Even wizards should not underestimate them.
To return to the point, his Magic Gun was created following the idea of the Black Spirit Empire’s Magic Material, sharing a common origin. The difference was that, because he adopted some modern Earth technologies, the Magic Gun was even more powerful. The arrows in the hall, lacking the enhancement of modern Earth technology, were somewhat weaker.
However, no matter how weak they were, they were enough to kill a First-level Middle Stage Wizard, given sufficient numbers.
Richard calmly watched from outside the door.
Bata, in the hall, had not dodged in time and was now in dire straits. He was channeling all his effort into casting spells to strengthen the Air Shield on all sides to fend off the attack of the Magic Material arrows, but it seemed, no matter how hard he tried, the Air Shield was in perilous danger of breaking at any moment.
Bata was terrified, his expression twisted, as the Air Shield seemed to be on the brink of collapse. He let out a furious yell, drove his feet into the ground, and once again cast the "Green Rock Armor" spell he had already used.
Soil accumulated around Bata’s body, solidifying and hardening into Stone Armor.
With a crash, the Air Shield shattered, and many Magic Material arrows struck the surface of the Stone Armor with force.
Bata took a step, intending to withstand the damage with his Stone Armor and leave the hall, but after taking two steps, he realized this was going to be difficult to achieve.
With his body entirely wrapped in stone, his speed was significantly reduced. If he truly tried to leave the hall, he feared his armor would be shattered and he would be killed mid-way.
Turning his head, he looked toward the four statues standing in the middle of the hall. Bata had an idea; he suddenly twisted his body and put all his strength into squeezing through the gap between the statues. He managed to fit himself between them awkwardly.
Now the attack from the numerous Magic Material arrows was blocked by the statues, and his pressure greatly decreased.
"Damn it, why didn’t I think of coming here to dodge?" Bata breathed a sigh of relief but had barely finished the thought when he heard a "pfft" and felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen.
Before he could react, there was another "pfft," and his back ached with pain.
Another pain struck his chest.
The fourth sound, a pain in his left rib.
He didn’t know when the fired arrows had stopped mid-flight, and the stone armor on Bata’s body started to peel off with a "clatter."
Bata struggled to look down at his body and saw that from inside the four stone statues, a black metallic spike was protruding from each, stabbing into his body from four different directions. Blood was gushing out wildly; it took only a moment for him to feel that he couldn’t hold on any longer.
Yes, this was a trap!
Bata suddenly understood.
The arrows were a mere diversion, all to corner him into the gap surrounded by the four stone statues.
But what was the use of understanding now? It was already too late...
"Gush, gush, gush..."
As blood continuously flowed from his body, Bata felt his consciousness blurring. He clenched his fists forcefully, digging his nails into the flesh to maintain alertness. He looked towards Richard at the door with the last shred of hope and pleaded, "Richard... Wizard Richard, save... save me!"
Richard stepped forward, stopping about half a meter from the statues. He glanced at Bata, not with mockery or triumph, but with an expression remaining calm as he asked, "Did you think that coming on an adventure with me, you wouldn’t die? On one hand, as long as I don’t dare openly betray the Jungle Hut, I wouldn’t dare kill you, since you were sent by Wizard Eva. On the other hand, to avoid suspicion, not only do I have to refrain from killing you, but I also need to ensure your safety."
"I, I..." Bata trembled, his injuries too severe to even speak properly.
Richard continued, "In fact, you guessed half right; I won’t kill you—not that I don’t dare, but simply because I can’t be bothered. Because some of the traps set up here are more than enough to kill you.
Do you really think there’s such a thing in the world as pure benefit without any cost, where there’s no need to take risks? There is no such thing! Whatever benefits you reap, you must pay the corresponding price. If you don’t want to pay the price and plan on shirking it, the only result will be that a greater price will be forcibly imposed on you. Just like now."
Bata couldn’t speak any longer. His lips moved, emitting only a "sighing" sound.
Richard said, "I know you want me to save you, but I won’t. On one hand, your injuries are indeed very serious, and I might have a slight chance if I use all my power. On the other hand, there’s no reason for me to save you—saving you would only be trouble for myself. Why would I save you?
Perhaps you’re wondering, if you really die, how will I explain it to Teddy, Noel, Jenny, and even Wizard Eva? The answer is, I will tell them the truth. They might not believe me, but... eventually, they will."
Bata’s mouth was open, but he made no sound. The light in his eyes gradually dimmed, signifying the end of life.
Richard stepped forward and helped close Bata’s eyes, considering it a kind gesture.
As soon as that was done, the four statues began to move, and the walls of the hall shook, preparing to shoot again.
This was another trap.
Anyone who attempted to rescue someone caught and severely injured by the previous trap would fall for it.
Richard was neither surprised nor fearful of this. With a flip of his hand, a magic gun appeared in his grasp. He aimed around him and forcefully pulled the trigger.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!"
The metallic bullets stormed out, preemptively and efficiently destroying everything in the hall before the trap could launch its attack, like a breeze sweeping away fallen leaves.
The four stone statues were instantly shattered, the walls were peppered with holes, and the entire hall looked as if it would collapse.
Richard looked around, nodded in satisfaction, and stepped towards the new corridor.