Chapter 1462 - 1424: Instant!

Accurate judgment and analysis, instantaneous action planning, and precise execution.

Enabled Lann to disarm Viggo Fortez in their first encounter.

If he didn’t want his hand to face the edge of the Lady of the Lake’s Sword, then the only option was to let go.

Viggo Fortez didn’t hesitate at all; he immediately unclenched his hand and rapidly floated backward.

The iron staff floated in mid-air without support, so Lann’s downward scraping move did not cause much damage to the staff.

He was just about to crush the staff to the ground.

But then, with a slight hum, the iron staff seemed to come alive, abruptly altering its trajectory during the fall and flying back toward Viggo Fortez’s retreating hand.

Originally floating back, Viggo Fortez once again moved forward.

He skillfully grasped one end and flicked his wrist.

The returning weight and inertia of the staff were guided by him, adding to the next strike!

The whistling iron staff wielded an even more terrifying sound as it sliced through the air.

In this blow, Viggo Fortez employed at least three tactical feints, making his attack intentions and path appear unpredictable, while also showcasing his extraordinary physical prowess and combat skills.

But no matter what...

"Clang!!!"

The sound of metal clashing echoed inevitably, arriving with the same destiny awaiting them in the future.

Aron Dite’s clear blade easily blocked the tip of the staff, at its most potent, fastest, and most changeable point!

His sturdy arm absorbed all the force, and beneath Lann’s feet, the soles of [Smaug]’s boots erupted with a ’clack’ sound!

The force from the staff was absorbed by the blade and transmitted to Lann’s body, leaving the Demon Hunter unmoved, while the rocky ground beneath his feet cracked under the pressure.

Viggo Fortez’s expression was shocked, but what surprised him even more was yet to come.

Lann’s free left hand moved swiftly in a manner completely disproportionate to its size and weight!

Just like the surprise slash earlier, in the eyes of ordinary people, the movement of this arm could only be described as missing frames!

That hand suddenly grasped the staff head, which paused briefly during the clash!

Viggo Fortez tried to change his move and pull away, but in an instant, he not only felt his staff-handling skills being entirely controlled and neutralized, but also saw a silver flash!

The Warlock’s eyes widened abruptly, and he hastily flew backward!

But even so, when Viggo Fortez stopped, trickling blood gathered on his leather boots, eventually dripping onto the ground, mixing with the dust.

His right shoulder was almost only connected to his body by a thin layer of skin, with the entire right arm dangling like it was tied to him, twitching.

Viggo Fortez’s face was pale and grim as he looked at the slightly frowning Lann below him, and magical light flashed in his hand.

Beneath that light, the neatly severed bones and muscles rapidly returned to their original form.

It was a simple healing spell, but in the face of the boundless magic power provided by the entity, the brilliance of this healing magic practically left Matty, who specialized in it, far behind!

The magical glow that the Female Warlock cast when healing her injured comrades was like a matchstick compared to an execution pyre when compared to Viggo Fortez now!

"The magic protection around you... is quite thick."

Lann flicked his hand deftly, causing the blood on the blade to leave a splatter on the ground.

The staff was thrown aside, gradually rolling away.

It was a staff entirely forged from Valyrian steel, which is why it wasn’t easily cut apart in the clash with Aron Dite.

In theory, Valyrian steel is much lighter than normal steel, but the inertia carried by the staff earlier was enough to crush the rocky ground beneath Lann’s feet!

It’s not just a Valyrian steel staff, but one imbued with heavy magic.

Given the skill Viggo Fortez demonstrated earlier and the extraordinary nature of this staff, he likely could have pummeled Geralt, who learned new tricks from Lann, with just his staff skills alone.

But even so, at this moment, Viggo Fortez’s expression towards Lann was filled with shock and danger.

He was a very proud person, otherwise he wouldn’t have shown disdain for the entire circle of warlocks during the previous confrontation at Gastang Palace.

Wouldn’t have fought Geralt using close combat.

But now, equally proud and strong, and even having set a little trick beforehand, within just a few seconds of two confrontations,

The first yielded nothing, and in the latter, he almost lost half his side!

Viggo Fortez was a warlock who began his path mid-life, having been a soldier and outlaw in his twenties, claiming superior combat skills even greater than those of the Demon Hunter.

He had already validated this point through Geralt.

But then, now... this pride was shattered twice in mere seconds in front of Lann!

If it weren’t for him lavishly using a bit more mana while constructing protection under the endless magic power, then Aron Dite, which cut straight through the magic protection, would have directly cleaved off his body above the shoulder!

When he fought Geralt, he even had back-and-forth exchanges, parrying and feinting, lasting for three full minutes!

But in front of Lann, the outcome of close combat would be decided in seconds if he dared to engage.

That’s why Lann decisively discarded the staff imbued with magic, because he was certain: Viggo Fortez wouldn’t dare to approach even a little anymore.

But what would he do next?

Drain me, crush me with long-range magic and boundless magic power?

No, he has seen me at Sodden Mountain directly ’cutting through’ magic; ordinary magic is ineffective against me in a short time.

If he uses excessive magic power to cast ordinary magic, those spells will only be destroyed by me; most will be evaded or resisted, barely affecting my lethality against him.

And that would take too much time.

He couldn’t face Gedemitis head-on; he used the Wishing Technique to cleverly escape.

Defeating Tishaya was equally unlikely. The Female Warlock was initially flustered, but later had to maintain Gedemitis’s life, so she couldn’t spare time to deal with him.

Otherwise, with the resolve he had to kill off all the northern warlocks, how could he leave Tishaya at Gastang Palace keeping Gedemitis alive?

Wasn’t it precisely because doing so kept two powerful warlocks occupied, leaving no time to trouble him?

Even if Viggo Fortez controlled that scattered and inefficient magic power, what did it matter in front of Tishaya?

He dared not delay time because it wouldn’t matter whether his personnel sent to the Crystal Cultivation Laboratory succeeded or not.

It was only a short period before it became apparent whether Gedemitis was fatally injured or had stabilized.

Tishaya would inevitably free herself to return to handle him.

Thus, he needed a swift and decisive battle, but...

At this moment, Lann had only one question.

Tor Laura was an unavoidable path, and Ciri was within. To get the girl, one must cross Lann.

To what extent would Viggo Fortez be decisive?

In an instant, his thoughts had completed.

A large flow of blood from Viggo Fortez’s shoulder even dripped down to his leather boots.

But on Lann’s body, a sheer, softly glowing light emerged, like an illusion or reflection, radiating outward!

The eyes of the Demon Hunter, both unsurprised and slightly astonished, lifted!

Unsurprised because—Viggo Fortez’s Djinn did indeed have remaining uses of the Wishing Technique!

The slight astonishment was at—he was decisive to this extent?!

An invisible force, undetectable even to ancient wizards such as Henry Gemitis, was infiltrating from the void and invading Lann’s body!

But Lann was not among those who ’couldn’t see’!

Those deep cat-like eyes.

The spiritual vision allowed him to observe the corporeal form of a Descent Ancient God during its destruction, leading to profound and significant progress!

As Lann unleashed his Body Light, these powers surged toward him, seemingly attempting to extract the Genetic Seed from his chest cavity!

Yet immediately, as this force struck the Body Light forged under pressure from the Yanyan Ancient God, a tangible contact and resistance occurred!

Lann’s Body Light, spurred by the invasive power, became visible to the naked eye!

And that force, endlessly trying to penetrate, failed to break through.

In Lann’s eyes, beside Viggo Fortez, a human-sized whirlwind of light appeared, with an abstracted human face showing a weary and struggling expression.

Evidently, against Body Light, even the Djinn’s Wishing Technique struggled futilely.

That was the appearance of the Djinn.

"You’re concerned about her to this extent?"

In an instant, Viggo Fortez decisively made a wish, his terror mounting, as a massive, formidable silhouette charged forward!

Lann mused aloud, but his left hand had already drawn a knife, a one-handed sword to normal folks, but a dagger to him from his back.

Demon Wolf’s Fang!

The short blade, emitting a bluish hue, sliced seamlessly through the space targeted by the Demon Hunter’s deep eyes!

With robust arms pulling downward, even his heavy frame carried gravity!

Despite Viggo Fortez’s full effort to recover from the shock of the ineffective wish, flying backward and upward.

But in mere moments... "Zzzz!"

The spatial-cutting dagger sliced through Viggo Fortez’s right shoulder again, this time like vertically cutting beef!

From shoulder to armpit, right rib, right waist, and outer right leg...

Viggo Fortez was almost immediately cleaved into unequal halves!

Blood and flesh spewed nearly instantly like a waterfall!

Viggo Fortez was painfully paralyzed, unable to even scream!

’Thud’, Lann landed stably and heavily, the armor pieces of Smaug clashing cohesively from the leap.

A wizard capable of using the Wishing Technique to outsmart Gedemitis and having previously bested Geralt in close combat within three minutes, faced with Lann’s encounter, determined life and death within half a minute!

Their combat strategies, aims, and resolve ensured this battle wouldn’t prolong.

It belonged to the type that quickly brought matters to a conclusion with the understanding of circumstances.

This didn’t imply Lann could similarly instantly defeat an ancient wizard as terrifying as Gedemitis in a direct confrontation.

Lann now awaited Viggo Fortez’s body, bisected by him, to hit the ground, still harboring questions for the executor of this coup.

For instance, why was he so desperate to obtain Ciri?

If he hadn’t decisively started using the Wishing Technique, the battle might have continued longer.

An additional example...

But Viggo Fortez’s body hadn’t yet fallen, and Lann’s thoughts hadn’t entirely completed.

Suddenly...

"Boom!!!!!!!!"

A massive explosion! Swept everything away!