Dana's sudden appearance, like a divine weapon descending from the heavens, not only took care of the tall, robust man in one fell swoop but also made the other two retreat, knowing they were outmatched.
As the tall, robust man fell to the ground, they had already started fleeing into the distance.
"Chase them!"
It was not just Dana who had come; there were also a few colleagues from the Patrol Department.
Those who could join the Patrol Department usually had some connections; their families were either rich or noble, and many even cultivated Breath.
These people might lack experience in life-or-death battles, but when it came to strength, they certainly weren't weak and were particularly good at capitalizing on favorable situations.
Unexpected.
As they ran, Dana spoke, "You've actually become a Knight's Attendant. Where did you learn this Breath technique?"
"No comment!" Carl huffed. "Deliberately putting a noble in danger—I will report this matter to the Noble Council and apply for the revocation of your position as Patrol Chief."
"If I hadn't intervened just now, you might already be dead," Dana frowned. "Is this how you repay your lifesaver?"
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have encountered any danger at all!"
"..."
Dana was speechless.
She paused for a moment, then said, "Regarding the mummified corpse case, Ham had discovered some clues, but before he could tell me, he was murdered."
"So..."
"I asked you to retrieve something and released the news externally that it was to fetch Ham's investigation results to lure the killer out. It was just a trial; I didn't expect it to really bring out assassins."
"Hmph!" Carl said in a muffled tone, "I nearly died!"
No matter how justifiable her reasons were, the fact that she had put him in danger was undeniable, and he could not forgive that.
What a joke. You only get one life; on what grounds could I forgive her? Just because she has a pretty face?
"You..." Dana's face showed annoyance. "Forget it, let's catch them first."
BANG!
Seeing no way to escape their pursuers, the two individuals ahead smashed through a wooden door and rushed into a three-story building.
"You can't escape!"
Dana sped up, her figure flashing to the second floor. Before she could thoroughly assess the surroundings, a burst of flame rushed towards her, and she instinctively twisted her body to dodge.
BANG!
The flame exploded, scattering across the floor.
The sparks that landed clung to the soil, wooden walls, and bricks. Instead of extinguishing immediately, they seemed to grow increasingly fierce.
This fire...
Carl's eyes narrowed, some residual memories surfacing in his mind, the scar on his cheek throbbing faintly.
"Be careful!"
Dana shouted, "It's the Fire Thieves!"
The Fire Thieves were a group of heretics who worshipped fire. Their goal was to create fires and burn everything, and they possessed the ability to create special flames.
"Kill!"
Accompanied by fierce roars, the Patrol Department colleagues collided with the Fire Thieves hiding inside the building.
Dana was at the forefront.
The rapier in her hands was sharp and pointed. Her rapid thrusts could even produce a shrill whistle, and with a light tremble of her wrist, the sword's afterimages instantly flared. The Fire Thieves in her path were pierced countless times in the blink of an eye.
It wasn't just her swordsmanship. Her movement technique was also impressive. She dodged flexibly in the narrow corridors, her rapier occasionally lashing out, felling one Fire Thief after another who blocked her path.
BOOM!
The door shattered.
In front of a group of fearless Patrol Officers, the Fire Thieves, defending in haste, could barely form an obstacle.
Carl, wielding a Great Sword he had picked up, found that although it wasn't as handy as his own broad sword, it was still much better than a short sword.
BANG!
He struck fiercely. The Great Sword, carrying immense force, chopped down one individual, and Carl seized the chance to rush into a room.
The room was filled with various bottles and jars; some contained murky liquids, others soaked animal organs, and various complex tubes connected the glass bottles. At first glance, it looked like a mad scientist's laboratory.
Strange!
Carl was stunned for a moment when he heard an angry roar coming from the room next door.
"Damn it!" The voice was sharp and piercing. "You've ruined my experiment!"
BOOM!
A blast of flames erupted from next door, sending two figures stumbling back with muffled groans before one person rushed out.
The person who rushed out was young, with a pale complexion. The key point was... Carl had seen him before. He had encountered him on the road a few days ago; the person had gotten into Annie's carriage and had even been suspected by Carey of being a vampire. His name seemed to be Miles.
At this moment, Miles's face was fierce, his expression twisted, and his rage seemed to have devoured his reason.
Sword light flickered.
The one wielding the sword was a colleague from the Patrol Department named Aubrey, who was also an Attendant Knight practicing a Breath technique. Aubrey swung the Knight Sword in his hand towards the young man's neck. With his strength, he could easily decapitate an adult.
SWOOSH!
To Aubrey's astonishment, the Knight Sword traced an arc, perfectly avoiding Miles's body. It seemed an invisible force had twisted his movement.
At the same time, Miles's cane sprang open, and a rapier slid out. He gently swiped it at Aubrey. The rapier was not long and shouldn't have been able to touch Aubrey.
But...
SHK!
A gash appeared on Aubrey's abdomen, followed by a gush of blood. His torso slowly slid from his legs, his eyes full of shock and unwillingness.
"Die!"
Having killed Aubrey, Miles still hadn't vented his anger. He stepped forward to chase another person, similarly sweeping his sword across.
TING...
The rapier collided with the Knight Sword. This time Carl saw clearly that there was a bizarre glow, about a foot long, on the rapier. The glow seemed tangible, creating small sparks as it collided with the Knight Sword. The other colleague, as if struck by a heavy blow, staggered backward, luckily not being cut in half like Aubrey.
SWOOSH!
Carl, who was watching, did not escape unscathed and received a casual strike from Miles.
Carl's breath hitched, his heart contracted. A dangerous warning from his Breath technique suddenly made him realize why his colleagues' reactions seemed so slow. There appeared to be an invisible force field around this person, suppressing anyone who came near.
CLANG...
The sound of the impact echoed as Carl took a step back, slightly relieved. Although the opponent's methods were bizarre and hard to understand, his strength wasn't particularly great, not even comparable to an Attendant Knight.
SWOOSH!
SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
Before Carl could recover, Miles's rapier attacked again, its afterimages relentlessly pinning both Carl and the other colleague. Under the influence of the bizarre force field, their attacks could hardly threaten Miles, whereas his moves were all fatal.
ARGH!
The scream from beside him made Carl's eyelids twitch. It was his companion who, caught unawares, had his legs gruesomely severed, blood spurting from the stumps.
BANG!
A loud sound echoed.
Dana, having finished dealing with the enemies elsewhere, transformed into a black shadow and leaped down. Her rapier once again brandished afterimages, resembling a small tornado.
Battle Skill—Sword Dance!
The Battle Skill, executed by a peak Attendant Knight, almost encompassed everything within half the room. Miles was the primary target of this attack.
THUMP!
HISS...
Carl's vision blurred, and he saw Miles staggering as if wounded.
"Attack!" Dana's voice was cold and stern, yet tinged with panic. "Kill him!"
"Oom!"
Miles hurriedly raised his hand, revealing a ring set with a sapphire-blue gem. Simultaneously, a strange sound exploded in their ears.
Carl's body stiffened.
In an instant, countless chaotic voices flooded his eardrums, and everything in his sight became twisted and bizarre, a grotesque phantasmagoria.
Many illusions surfaced. Winged little people, cackling insects, and disorienting, chaotic directions nearly made him collapse on the spot.
Next to him, Dana groaned. Her rapier clattered to the ground, her eyes blank and staring, instantly losing the ability to resist.
What's happening?
What just happened?
Carl struggled to raise his hand and instinctively triggered his sleeve arrow. Then, his vision went dark, and he fell to the ground.