Susan shouted, "Stop them!"
The Protectors raised their steel forks and fiercely stabbed at the two figures, while powerful arrows shot from the darkness. The Protectors had prepared for a long time and coordinated seamlessly. What seemed like a casual thrust actually completely blocked the opponents' forward momentum.
"It's a Knight, and a Shadow Dharma Seal!"
The unexpected strength of the two startled everyone. They shouted but couldn't stop themselves from retreating continuously.
Susan drew her sword. The curved sword traced a beautiful arc, heading straight for one of them, the blade's light flickering with a fierce killing intent.
Battle Skill—Dark Moon Slash!
The assassin was strong but not as strong as Susan, especially with the other Protectors entangling him. He was wounded after just a few exchanges.
Just then, a silent shadow appeared behind Carl, like a venomous snake in the night revealing its fangs.
As everyone's attention was drawn to the two assassins, the real deadly move was already unfolding.
Susan suddenly turned around. Horrified at the sight, she ignored her own opponent and dashed forward.
Alas, she was clearly too late!
Carl drew his broad sword in the nick of time. Holding it defensively behind him, he managed to block the incoming attack but lost his balance and tumbled to the ground.
The clashing sounds were like rain hitting banana leaves.
Susan swung her curved sword, clashing wildly with her opponent. Their figures intermingled, and sparks flew amid the crash of metal.
The last assassin grunted lowly, intensified his attack, and with his two companions, broke through the encirclement. They disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.
Susan didn't bother to chase them. "Carl!" she hurried to his side. "How are you?"
"HUH..." Carl, pale-faced, shifted his shoulder slightly and forced a smile. "It's nothing, just some muscle strain. I'll be fine after a few days' rest. It's a pity we couldn't capture the assassins. Otherwise, we could have confronted Jasper in front of the President."
"It's not that simple." Susan shook her head. "Even if we caught them, Jasper wouldn't admit to it. But don't worry, those three won't get off easily."
Saying this, she smirked coldly. Her curved blade was coated with deadly poison. The last skilled individual was unscathed, but the other two would end up dead or disabled.
In Freedom Port, a disabled Knight is as good as dead.
「The night deepened.」
Several oil lamps were lit, brightening the room as if it were day. Charles ordered a table full of food and drink, and at the invitation of others, he began to eat and drink uninhibitedly.
His hobbies were unlike others. He didn't care for beautiful women or wealth; he was only interested in all kinds of food. Even earning money was just to buy more delicious things to eat.
"Captain," the new first mate said attentively, "try this. It's the meat of a hill giant, a Legendary Creature that lives in the mountainous areas. It is said that one punch can kill a Great Knight. It's a pity it's not very smart; it was killed after being drugged."
"OH!" Charles's eyes lit up as he grabbed a strip of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing it in no time.
The first mate was secretly amazed. The meat of the hill giant was very firm. It wouldn't soften even if stewed for three days and three nights, and ordinary people couldn't digest it. Even for a Knight with exaggerated visceral abilities, it was necessary to taste it slowly, yet Charles did it so effortlessly. No wonder he could kill the former captain Gray. His strength must have already reached the Peak Knight level.
"Not bad!" Licking the corner of his mouth, Charles's eyes gleamed. "The meat of Legendary Creatures is indeed flavorful. What a pity it's too expensive, otherwise I could never eat enough of it every day."
"How could that be?" the first mate laughed. "Captain, you've inherited Gray's ship. Even a single voyage brings in at least a few thousand Divine Grace Coins. You can afford any kind of meat!"
"HA HA..." Charles laughed. "That's true!"
With a flourish of his hand, he commanded, "Don't stop!"
The men nodded and ate heartily from the table until Charles suddenly looked down.
"Do any of you feel... is the ground shaking?"
"Is it?" the first mate wiped his mouth and smiled. "Probably just the waves. They've been rougher than usual lately, making sailing more dangerous."
"Indeed!" the others nodded in agreement.
"Something's wrong." Charles suddenly flipped the table, his expression changing sharply. "The ground..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the ground trembled violently, and dozens of arm-thick, bloodthirsty vines burst out like lightning. In an instant, the room was filled with spiky, bloodthirsty vines that swiftly ensnared everyone present. The spikes pierced their flesh, frenziedly extracting blood. The blood-fed vines thickened visibly, tightening their constricting force.
In the blink of an eye, the room almost turned into a jungle of vines.
Screams resounded. Streams of blood sprayed from the gaps in the vines, as plump bodies quickly became shriveled.
A loud noise followed. Charles's arms swung like blades, frantically slashing. The vines colliding with his forearms were instantly severed.
"Who is it?" he roared. "Come out!"
Battle Skill—Fiery Flame Windmill!
A wild fire burst into existence, like a spinning wheel of fire, chasing after the vines in the area.
In an instant, the vines were set ablaze and rapidly withered, leaving a sudden emptiness around Charles. This revealed a hidden figure within—Carl!
Holding a rapier, Carl had just pierced another man through the heart. He now turned his head, a look of surprise on his face as he looked over.