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Silver-white, cold ore paved the path beneath the man's feet, extending with each step he took. The protruding, clustered rhomboid ores on the path sparkled like ice flowers.
"You scoundrel, ambushing a woman from behind! Is that the behavior of a warrior? Are all Mages from the Diamond Kingdom as shameless as you?" Klaus, a noble, loudly condemned the attacker's cowardly act of ambushing Mimosa.
But Mars, the Mage from the Diamond Kingdom, maintained a rigid, icy expression. Hearing Klaus's words, he merely replied coldly, "I don't understand what you're saying at all."
He shook his head, "Forget it, it doesn't matter who it is, just pebbles by the roadside."
The next second, the ore beneath Mars's feet grew and condensed terrifyingly, thrusting forward. The giant ore pyramids emitted a chilling coldness.
After the first sneak attack, Klaus was already on guard. The moment the ore pyramids protruded, his grimoire, floating in the air, quickly flipped pages. He slammed his palm on the ground, "Steel Creation Magic: Steel City's Armor Wall!"
Steel walls rose from the ground, intertwining with the ore pyramids, emitting a booming sound. The obstructed and shattered ore scattered like ice shards.
"Assist me, Yuno! Let the arrogant fool from the Diamond Kingdom witness the power of the Golden Dawn!"
"Yes," Yuno responded softly as his four-leaf clover grimoire, wreathed in a faint blue glow, floated out. White wisps of wind began to appear and disappear around him.
"Steel Creation Magic: Rotating Piercing Spear!"
Three continuously rotating steel-toothed spears soared over the towering steel walls, stabbing towards Mars. The ore beneath Mars's feet grew and enveloped him like a cluster of flowers. The rotating steel-toothed spears drilled into the ore, scattering granular debris.
However, those seemingly fierce steel-toothed spears only penetrated a few centimeters into the ore before they could no longer advance; the interior of the silver-white ore was too hard.
Yuno manipulated a condensed whirlwind and hurled it behind Mars. Similarly, the ore rapidly grew and multiplied like spores, completely encasing Mars in a sphere. The whirlwind lashed against the ore, only raising a few tiny ore fragments.
After one exchange, Klaus's perception instantly changed. 'My and Yuno's attacks had no effect!'
'Moreover… his grimoire hasn't appeared at all from beginning to end, which means… he can cast powerful magic even without using his grimoire… easily blocking attacks, with no reduction in his magic power. If this continues—it's bad!'
'The gem embedded in his forehead… there are rumors that the Diamond Kingdom has experimentally cultivated artificial Mages who can enhance their magic power… From childhood, children with high magic power are selected and made to undergo brutal competition, then a magic tool that can enhance magic power is embedded in their bodies, and finally, they are made to kill each other!'
'If I'm not mistaken, this guy is the one who survived in the end!'
'Damn it!'
While Klaus was contemplating, the ore encasing Mars gradually receded. A gigantic ore sword appeared suspended to his right. The three-to-four-meter-long greatsword was awe-inspiring.
The wind stirred, and the greatsword suddenly swung down in a diagonal slash!
"Crack!"
The great ore sword cut through the steel wall standing before it. A smooth, diagonally cut gap was revealed before Klaus's eyes. He instantly changed his previous strategy and spoke to the two beside him, "Yuno! Mimosa! Hurry to the Treasure Hall while I fight this guy!"
"Huh, Senior, that guy is very strong. If there's no assistance…"
"Never mind! I didn't want to entrust it to someone from a commoner background like you, but this is all for the Clover King… Go and complete our mission quickly!"
Klaus's tone was anxious. He knew very well he couldn't hold this guy off for long. He could only hope that Yuno and Mimosa would transfer the treasures from the Treasure Hall before then.
Mimosa, standing behind the two, looked at Klaus like a weathercock. She had intended to turn and run towards the Treasure Hall's door, but then she glanced at Yuno, who remained motionless, and couldn't help but stop.
Klaus's words naturally fell into Mars's ears, every single one. He wouldn't give Yuno and the others a chance. The ore beneath his feet surged forward like an ice waterfall, instantly enveloping Klaus. Klaus struggled to move his body but found he couldn't move at all!
The gigantic ore sword swung again, its sharp blade seemingly capable of cutting through everything in its path with one strike!
"This is bad!"
Cold sweat streamed down Klaus's forehead.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
"Oh dear—that four-eyed noble seems to be in trouble."
In a distant passage, a mud golem stood silently in the dark space. Bai En and his two companions watched the battle between the Golden Dawn and the Diamond Kingdom's Mage. Gu Sen seemed to be gloating over Klaus, who had been arrogant in front of him earlier.
But as the giant ore sword was about to fall, a faint glow surged in Gu Sen's gloating eyes. Two flintlock pistols appeared in his hands, and without any hesitation, several bullets condensed from flames burst forth.
"Four-eyes, you owe me one this time."
Although he disliked Klaus's aristocratic demeanor, he was, after all, a member of the Magic Knights like himself. There was no reason to stand by and do nothing.
The burning bullets drew fiery red lines in the air. The bullets, almost simultaneously with Yuno's wind magic, "Sickle Weasel's Crescent," landed on the ore sword Mars had swung.
The giant ore sword was struck by wind and flames and did not successfully cut down. It swayed slightly in the air before freezing in place.
'It didn't shatter… so sturdy!' Yuno and Gu Sen, who had cast the magic, muttered in their hearts.
With Gu Sen's move, Nancy also didn't stay put. She controlled the mud golem, which leaped up. Under the surging magic power, the mud golem, like a wild King Kong, descended from high above with overwhelming power!
A fist, stacked and glowing brown, appeared. Mars leaped to the side. The magic-surging fist landed on the ore ground, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared in layers, with strong winds and shattered rocks exploding.
As the Diamond Kingdom's artificial secret weapon, Mars was naturally no ordinary foe. After dodging the mud golem's punch, he used the rising dust to launch an attack.
Silver-white ore shot up from the ground, with giant ore crystals piercing directly towards the mud golem.
Bai En drew his sword, swung the Face Cutter, and unleashed a horizontal slash that flew out. The layers of ore piled on the ground were instantly leveled, and sparkling silver-white ore fragments rained down like snow.
The slash, empowered by the Face Cutter, did not stop. It landed directly on Mars in the wind.
Blood spurted out.
Mars was sent flying by the slash, tumbling repeatedly, and with a "thud," he fell into the nearby stream…