Assassination Attempt

[You have killed [Level 2 Soldier]. You have earned 10 EXP]

[You have killed [Level 3 Soldier]. You have earned 20EXP]

[You have killed [Level 2 Soldier]. You have earned 10 EXP]

[Warning! Your mana has dropped below 50 points]

28 soldiers. This time around, he had managed to kill 28 soldiers, including one beginner knight.

At this point, the 400-men-strong Lark Army had already lost more than 25% of its soldiers to Arthur's daily barrage of spells. Although the strategy seemed quite simple, it was not something that the average acolyte could think of.

Most acolytes rarely fought. Most of them lived among normal humans, as craftsmen and merchants, cultivating their magical mastery in hiding. The Porfield Kingdom, which promoted knights, made it hard for the average wandering acolytes. There were close to no acolytes in fairy tales, and the few that were displayed in children books were necromancers and witches.

Hence, acolytes were not welcome in people's heart. Only nobles could practice magic freely, since their code of virtue allowed people to be at ease when encountering or hearing about them. Nobles who broke the code of virtue did not exist, since they would be shunned by their own family, and worse still, bring shame to their family.

Hence, wandering acolytes were usually foreign to warfare.

Even Baron Lark, who had gone through dozens of battles in his life, found this strategy to be absurdly novel and effective. Because Arthur possessed more magic power and proficiency than the acolytes on his side, in addition to possess a mobility advantage, Arthur could strike them without exposing himself.

Magical attainments and high proficiency in the low-grade [Ice Arrow] spell allowed him to cast his spells from a longer distance than average acolytes, and if they ever tried to chase him, the 6 knights around him would cut them down before they could chant a word of incantation.

If they sent an army, the Northern Stallions they rode with mastery would allow them to escape with ease.

In other words, it was a checkmate.

Everlasting City might look like a fortress from the outside and from its history, with walls that were never breached previous to Arthur's rampage. However, it was now a prison where Arthur could easily slaughter them slowly.

This time around, however, James and Aurora, the two intermediate rank acolytes, had planned otherwise. Using an invisibility potion, a rare medium-grade elixir allowing one to become nearly invisible, they had escaped Everlasting City and reached the young acolyte without him noticing anything.

James took out his golem core and drained 20 magic crystals worth of mana, allowing a 2-meters-tall ancient golem soldier to spawn from the ground. It was a massive golem with striking power equal to advanced rank knight, and regenerative abilities that made it nearly impossible to kill with average advanced rank knight strength.

It was a golem that even advanced rank acolytes would have trouble defending against, not to mention destroy.

"Arthur Landragon! Today is the day you die!", James muttered, "I know you are just a child who was sent on a battlefield before your genius-like talent bloomed, but eventually, you are a soldier. Battlefields know no mercy"

James Bare was just an alias. In reality, he was called James Von Agnutor, from a Magus Household. Like most magus households, it was a declining magus household which had not birthed a single magus in the past few centuries. However, it still had a [Magic Tower], dozens of intermediate rank acolytes from the main family line and almost a hundred beginner rank acolytes, with the current head being a peak advanced rank acolyte.

James Von Agnutor initially hoped to come back to his forsaken family after reaching the advanced rank realm, but eventually, he had to face the harsh reality. Even with daily meditation, his talent and lack of resources would not allow him to reach the advanced rank realm before his death. For twenty years, he had only rose from a newly-advanced intermediate rank acolyte to a middle-stage intermediate rank acolyte. It would take him twice this duration to reach the elite intermediate rank acolyte realm, and thrice this duration to become an advanced rank acolyte. However, he was already past 50, and the odds of him living till then were small, considering his way of life.

This is why Baron Lark's proposition was an opportunity. Full support from his old friend in exchange for his commitment to the battle against the Landragon Household.

"ATTACK!", James ordered his golem while casting several layers of [Earth Shield]

When Arthur sensed the flow of mana from James' hands, he squinted. After all, James was in possession of a golem core that even the [Head of the Arcane Faction] could not produce.

'Body Scan', he ordered

[Ancient Golem Soldier - Level 18 Golem | HP - 650 / 650]

It was very fast and one of the Falister Knights tried to block its charge.

*SPLASH*

Raising its great earth-elemental sword, the Falister Knight was cut in half, his torso seperated from his lower body. It was a shocking sight, considering that the Falister Knight defensive parry had been close to perfect.

Noah Gim, the intermediate-rank knight, immediately raised his black shield and shouted: "DEFENSIVE FORMATION! I will block his attacks, while you guys focus on dealing surface wounds! Arthur, try to attack the acolytes there. If my guts are right, killing them will deactivate this monstrous golem!"

Arthur snapped out of his thoughts. It wasn't like him to be distracted in a battle, but Noah was right. Killing James became a priority. For the very first time since his patrolling missions, Arthur was in danger of imminent death.

[Ice Seal]

[You have dealt 25 points of damage to [Ancient Golem Soldier]. [Frozen] Ailment has been created. Movements of the golem have slowed by 8%]

Immediately, the Golem was slowed by the [Ice Seal] spell. Even if [Ice Seal] could completely block an intermediate knight's movements, it could only slow the golem by 8%

'How pitiful...', Arthur thought to himself

He could only do so much for the Falister knights who had sworn to protect him. Had it been the previous Landragon beginner knights, they would have fallen in a matter of seconds. Noah Gim was not your average intermediate-rank knight. He possessed both fighting and commanding skills, in addition to possessing a vast array of fighting experience, allowing him to react very efficiently in doomed situations.

His stalling allowed Arthur to focus on the two acolytes looking at him from hundreds of meters.

'I didn't want to reveal it so soon...but I guess I don't have a choice in this situation', Arthur thought

Drawing his sword, he cast [Ice Aura] and [Ice Shield] on the back of his horse.

[You have blocked [Earth Spear]. [Ice Shield] durability has decreased by 20 points]

[You have blocked [Shadow Arrow]. [Ice Shield] durability has decreased by 22 points. [Ice Physique] has blocked the remaining damage]

[You have received 12 points of damage]

His horse died, but Arthur disregarded the barrage of spells and continued to charge forward at full speed.

[Heavy Vertical Strike]

The knight-killing technique he had trained for the past four years, and the Landragon's signature move, was unleashed at full strength. With his 15 points of strength, Arthur was no different than a magical beast in human's shape.

[You have dealt 45 points of damage]

[Opponent has developped [Bleeding], [Ice Poison] ailments]

Before Arthur could rejoice, he felt immense danger.

*BOOM*

James threw an explosive potion at him, and used the opening to cast an [Earth Spear]

[You have received 32 points of damage]

[You have received 20 points of damage. [Bleeding] ailment has been inflicted]

The Earth Spear travelled at very fast speed, but Arthur had high agility and managed to avoid it piercing his heart. It impaled his abdomen though, causing large amount of blood to flow down.

James had somehow managed to block most of the damage with his [Earth Shield] spell, but a single strike had allowed Arthur to break through it and almost kill him on the spot. Considering the [Ice Aura] lethality, it was only a matter of time before he would die.

Arthur couldn't afford to wait for [Ice Aura] to take him out. It would take minutes, and before then, the Ancient soldier golem would kill all of his knight bodyguards. From a distance, he could tell that Noah would not last long if it continued. Two of his knights had already fallen, and his shield seemed to lose durability by the second.

"Damn it! How can he have so much mana still?", James shouted

Arthur's mana was running low, but he never fully depleted it in case of problems. He previously thought that with his physique, no acolyte would be able to threaten his life. Little did he know, for the man who possessed no magic artefacts actually possessed an Earth Golem Core that was worth more than a thousand magic crystals, and could be exchanged for a [High-grade] Magical artefact and several high-grade spells.

Not to mention its power, its research value was even greater!

Just as Arthur was about to deal the finishing blow, the witch finished her incantation. A black cloud of shadow elemental particles was emitted from her hands.

To his shock, Arthur realized that he was not the target. James was.

[Estimated degrees of damage: 45]

It was a high-grade spell with tremendous power!

Immediately, the Ancient Golem Core collapsed, allowing Noah and the knights to surround the witch in a matter of seconds.

"I am Aurora Blastford. I wish to change sides in this war", the witch said in a seducing and calm voice, "I have fresh information on Baron Lark's defences, as well as his plans. If I give them to a talented youth like you, victory is almost a given"

Arthur squinted. Even without Noah's knights, he had confidence in killing the witch by himself. Although he had sustained injuries, he still had 56 HP, which was more than enough to charge the witch and behead her from one single horizontal sword strike

"I know you can kill me right now, but I am sure you are interested in the information I possess", she said

"Why would I trust you?", Arthur spoke calmly

"Arthur! You can't trust a witch like her! She will betray you in a heartbeat just like she betrayed James!", Noah shouted, raising his sword against her

Aurora smiled: "I am not asking to trust me...I only wish to live. I know you weren't planning on letting a single acolyte live after this battle. Here is a token of trust I can give you"

Upon saying this, she threw a scroll at Arthur

[Everlasting City Commanding Scroll - Common Good

A scroll written by the City Guard Captain and Lark Army Strategists, and handed to all the officers in Everlasting City Guard Order. It contains the plans and army information of the Lark Army]

"I don't trust you still...But I can use you. If you help me, I will grant you freedom, and even let you make copies of Baron Lark's personal library", Arthur spoke, "Show a sign of betraying me, omit anything you know, and my sword will cut your head before you even see it"

Aurora sighed in relief, unable to hide her great worry any more: "I have seen your true strength...I would not dare to attempt anything. It is in my interest to help you as well, since the winning party gets it all"

Arthur, however, took precautions: "Bind her feet and hands tightly, and gag her mouth. Without saying words, she can't cast spells. Leave nothing on her body"

The knights mercilessly ripped her clothes and changed her black robe with a simple tunique. Her jewellery, rings, and trinkets were all taken by Arthur.

"I will make sure my men don't do anything to you. But betray my trust, and you wish you would have died", Arthur spoke

'The witch also stole my EXP...', Arthur cursed inwardly.

[Ancient Earth Golem Core - High-grade Level 18 Golem]

Although you needed a lot of knowledge to make a golem work, Arthur planned on exchanging it for body refinement restricted knowledge and resources. It was an item that would pick the interest of the Master of the Ivory Tower, Magus Rutherford himself after all.

Who would have thought that his contract with Count Elderwood would lead him to reap so many benefits? At this point, he had already amassed resources that would have taken several years of banditry in the [Ivory Tower].