Chapter 511 - 510: Failed Sneak Attack

Chapter 511: Chapter 510: Failed Sneak Attack

Colin quickly recognized the two types of humanoid creatures.

The former were Kuo-toa, and the latter were of the Grimlock Race. Like the Bullywugs they had met before, neither was a particularly tough opponent.

Empowered by Magic, Kase was more than holding his own.

He drew his bow and nocked an arrow. Turning, he loosed a shot that pierced straight through a Grimlock’s skull, felling it to the ground.

Colin watched calmly as Kase led the enemies in their direction.

He took the Spellbook from his waist and flipped it to the page for Lightning Bolt.

As he recited the Spell, sparks of electricity flared to life beside him. A series of sharp crackles hinted at the lightning about to be born.

The charging slaves weren’t blind. They quickly raised their motley collection of weapons, intending to hurl them and try their luck at taking out the Caster in the distance.

Kase skidded to a halt in front of Colin.

He picked up a giant Shield from the ground and planted it in front of Colin.

The next instant, a series of CLANGS echoed from the Shield. Crude Javelins and Throwing Axes hammered against its surface before deflecting onto the ground.

Colin leaned out from behind the shield and unleashed the fully prepared spell.

KRAKOOM!

The bolt of lightning shot down the corridor, tearing through everything in its path. It filled most of the hallway, leaving the charging slaves with nowhere to run.

A faint breeze, stirred by the coursing electricity, carried the acrid stench of burnt flesh.

Charred, blackened corpses collapsed to the floor. With that one attack, Colin had taken down more than twenty of the poor bastards.

’That should be enough to get their attention,’ Colin thought.

Up ahead, Kase let out a roar. He entered a Frenzy, drew the Battle Axe from his waist, and charged the enemy.

The slaves battered the Half-Orc’s giant Shield with their various weapons. Against their crude armaments, however, the shield was like an insurmountable cliff.

CLANG!

Kase caught a Grimlock’s iron axe on his shield.

He sidestepped and swung his axe in a backhand blow, cracking the creature’s skull open. Just as the other enemies were about to press their attack, Kase retreated behind the giant Shield once more.

More clangs rang out against the Shield.

Just then, a short Grimlock tried to squeeze past the shield. Kase slammed the shield into it with a backhand motion, knocking it out cold. He simultaneously drove back the enemies on his left and swung his Battle Axe again, felling the last Grimlock on his right.

After a few such exchanges, his one-man defensive line remained unbroken.

The Half-Orc repeated this pattern, harvesting the lives of his opponents one by one.

The slaves wore no Armor whatsoever. Against them, the enchanted Orc Battle Axe cut through them like a hot knife through butter. Even a glancing blow would tear away a chunk of flesh.

If the slaves didn’t think to flank him, and the Gray Dwarves didn’t intervene, Kase might have actually been able to slaughter them all one by one.

’So, have the Gray Dwarves made their move yet?’

With that thought, Colin decided to make a bit more of a scene.

He flipped open his Spellbook and raised the Magic Staff—a fake created by his Disguise Technique—high into the air. At the same time, he began chanting the Spell for Flaming Arrow, causing sparks to flare up beside him.

Seeing this, the slaves at the front erupted in panicked cries, and the pressure on Kase eased considerably.

While Casting, Colin continuously scanned his surroundings.

With the help of See Invisibility, no stealthed opponent should be able to escape his notice.

Just as Colin began to wonder if the Gray Dwarves weren’t coming at all, several figures appeared in his line of sight.

The invisible Gray Dwarves leaped high into the air from behind the slaves, bounding toward him. Their jumping height was astounding.

They had to be the Gray Dwarf Soul Blade Masters.

Many Spiritual Energy abilities had effects similar to magical spells. Colin guessed the dwarves had used a power on themselves akin to Jump, a spell capable of tripling their leap height.

’The Disguise Technique actually fooled them. Now I just have to wait for them to get here.’

Colin continued Casting with a placid expression, though he deliberately slowed his pace.

The Gray Dwarves swiftly landed behind him.

In that very instant, Colin aborted his Casting, whipping his hand up over his shoulder to aim behind him.

Just an instant before the spell would have been complete, a vicious chill crawled up his spine to the base of his skull.

The chill coalesced into a tangible cold that stabbed through the back of his head and into his very marrow, bringing with it a bizarre, ice-cold, piercing pain.

Colin felt his consciousness freeze, coming to an abrupt halt.

Immediately after, he felt a sharp tug on his Helmet. Simultaneously, the sound of metal striking metal rang out from his lower back and neck—two Daggers had struck his Chest Armor and Chain Armor at the same time.

"What the fuck is your deal?" a voice behind him asked in broken Surface Common Language.

"Mind your language," Colin said calmly.

At that same moment, the Spell for Burning Hand completed. A bursting cone of flame erupted, instantly engulfing the entire area behind him. ℴ

Colin drew his Elf Giant Sword. As he did, the Disguise Technique faded, revealing the suit of gleaming Plate Armor he wore beneath.

He glanced back.

Two short, burning figures were rolling on the ground. Not far off, four other figures stood, still shrouded in Invisibility.

They had the standard appearance of Gray Dwarves, with gleaming bald heads and white beards now singed black by the flames. Their bodies were short and stout, clad in Leather Armor, and they clutched Daggers in their hands.

The stench of burning leather filled the air as the two Gray Dwarves slowly got to their feet.

The two who had initiated the attack had burns of varying severity, and they looked to be in bad shape.

’The piercing pain in my head just now... it felt similar to being hit by a Mind Flayer’s Mind Blast. In other words, these Gray Dwarves must be Soul Blade Masters who use Mind Power.’

’So my preparations with Intelligent Barrier paid off.’

As Colin sized up his opponents, the two Gray Dwarves stared back at him in utter disbelief.

As Soul Blade Masters, they could only wear Leather Armor to ensure the stable use of their Spiritual Energy. Yet their opponent, this so-called "Mage," was clad in Half-plate Armor, had wiped out more than a dozen slaves with a single Tier Three Magic spell, and was now holding a Giant Sword.

No matter how they looked at it, the scene before them defied all common sense.

But the die had been cast.

The two Gray Dwarves let out a bellow and activated Enlarge Person, an ability innate to their race.

Their short bodies swelled rapidly, doubling in height. Their Armor and weapons grew in proportion, becoming twice their original size.

As this happened, Colin yelled, "Ale, now!"