Chapter 517 – The Guards

Without even glancing at the dazzling light and shadows created by Kane and Audreylinda’s battle behind him, Punk calmly watched Bartos, whose forehead had begun to bead with cold sweat. At the same time, Punk carefully scanned the more than twenty guards surrounding Bartos.

It was evident that these twenty-plus professionals were Bartos’s specially trained “elite” troops. Although most of their strength barely reached the Formal-Level, it was unclear how Bartos—who seemed like a foolish oaf—had brainwashed them. When these overconfident guards faced a Master-Level powerhouse alongside their boss, they showed no fear; instead, they were brimming with excitement and eagerness.

Precisely because of this, Punk immediately decided without hesitation—no matter what, he must eliminate these loyal Formal-Level guards first, as they posed too great a threat to “Smile” and the “Second Godchild.”

Indeed, in Punk’s view, the Kingdom guards brought by Bartos were the most likely to threaten “Smile” on the battlefield at this moment. Even compared to Bartos wielding his Great Hammer, these guards, who had not chosen to retreat in the face of danger, were more troublesome.

Because… their attacks were extremely concentrated.

Punk ordered the Magical Raven Vector to protect “Smile.” With “Directional Interference,” a genuine Legendary-level spell, even Kane back in the day couldn’t get close to Sorsend at all. It could be said that this spell was most effective against combat professionals specializing in close-quarters combat. If enemies couldn’t even get close, the powerful strength of combat professionals would have no chance to manifest.

At the same time, the spell’s greatest weaknesses were spellcasters and large groups of enemies. Since a single spell could only lock onto and interfere with one target’s direction at a time, “Vector’s” pitiful reaction speed would likely be overwhelmed against concentrated attacks. So, if Bartos charged at “Smile,” the threat would be minimal with Punk’s interference and Vector’s spell. But if those guards focused their fire on “Smile’s” direction…

“This is troublesome. It seems I must draw the enemies’ focus onto myself, and these twenty-plus professional guards must be dealt with quickly.”

Thinking calmly, Punk cast a Master-Level spell, “Super Swiftness,” on himself while coldly scanning the enemies before him. Then, he spoke expressionlessly to Vector perched on “Smile’s” shoulder:

“Vector, take ‘Smile’ and the cage to hide in the corner!”

“Caw caw, as you command, Boss!”

On the battlefield, “Vector” naturally didn’t dare question Punk’s orders. Though somewhat dissatisfied with being used as labor again, the Magic Raven directly grabbed the collar of “Smile’s” top and, after receiving the control authority of the Magic Cage from Punk, flew toward a corner with protruding rubble.

Vector, after all, possessed strength equivalent to a Formal-Level powerhouse. Carrying the petite and slender “Smile” was no different from holding a feather for the Magic Raven. In no time, the Magic Raven, along with “Smile” and the floating Magic Cage, had moved away from the center of the battlefield.”Alright then… who among you wishes to die first?”

Standing calmly at the crater’s edge, Punk issued his icy challenge to the dozens before him. The murderous intent he released gripped their souls like a giant hand, terrifying them. Faced with the dreadful killing aura of a Level 19 Caster, the guards who had been shouting for blood moments earlier fell into stunned silence.

Within seconds, the battlefield around Punk grew deathly quiet…

Until… a sudden whistling sound shattered the stillness.

“Whoosh!”

“Dammit! That girl is definitely an enemy too! We can’t let her escape!”

It had to be admitted that courageous Formal-Level professionals still existed. Seeing Punk so openly teleport his “teammate” right before their eyes, one impatient guard finally couldn’t restrain himself and charged forward.

But… what awaited him was only an ever-expanding purple energy sphere.

“Master-Level Conjuration spell—Kinetic Blast!”

“Boom!”

Accompanied by a roar that shattered space itself, before everyone’s eyes, this guard who had dared to take the lead was instantly blown into chunks of flesh by the explosive kinetic energy.

However, with someone taking the initiative, the other guards finally shook off their fear. They remembered their identities—they were the Kingdom’s elite guards. If they didn’t Charge into battle now, even if they survived, Bartos would undoubtedly slap them to death upon return, with their entire families possibly executed alongside them.

They, and even their families, had for years received heavy investments from the Kingdom represented by Bartos. Now, they had to pay for this with their blood, loyalty, and even their lives.

“Dammit! So what if he’s Master-Level? Our Lord Bartos is undefeated! Even if it costs our lives, we must harass the enemy for Lord Bartos!”

This was the furious roar of a bright-eyed young man.

“That’s right! The gap between Master-Level and Formal-Level isn’t an insurmountable chasm! With so many of us, we might even leave some wounds on this Archmage!”

This was the angry shout of a young female warrior.

“Let’s fight then! I’ve enjoyed everything life has to offer anyway! Crossing blades with a Master-Level expert would make for a glorious end!”

This was the grim, bitter smile of a Strongman with an ugly scar across his face.

It had to be admitted that Bartos’ control over these unevenly matched “guards” was quite strong. Punk estimated that Bartos must have paid tremendous costs to train such a group of guards, with their families likely under the Kingdom’s surveillance. Now it became clear these men were charging toward him with absolute determination to die.

Regardless of circumstances, whether driven by necessity or conviction, as a group of Formal-Level combatants daring to draw their blades against a Master-Level expert already deserved the title “elite”!

But… courage could never bridge the gap in power.Admittedly, the gap between Master-Level and Formal-Level is indeed not as vast as the leap to the Transcendent Realm. Theoretically, the maximum attack power of a Formal-Level practitioner can still injure an unprepared Master-Level expert. However… in actual combat, even the strongest Formal-Level professionals can, at best, barely manage to escape from a newly advanced Master-Level powerhouse! To think of confronting a Master-Level expert relying solely on numerical advantage? For such a suicidal act, Punk has always offered nothing but a cold, objective assessment:

“A swarm of ignorant insects—do you truly believe you are worthy of even attempting to dance?”

(End of Chapter)