Chapter 673 - 560: Life and Death in an Instant

Chapter 673: Chapter 560: Life and Death in an Instant

After spending so long honing his skills in this world and becoming an Extraordinary Professional himself, Roland had long since realized that Extraordinary Professionals were not invincible.

At the very least, every Extraordinary Professional had their own strengths and weaknesses.

Take Professions like Casters, for instance.

They commanded the terrifying, immense power to twist reality, manipulate Elements, and even call upon miracles. Knowledge was their Shield, and their Spells were their blades.

But their bodies were frail, and the process of Casting required immense Concentration and precise control. If interrupted, the consequences ranged from the Magic fizzling out and a backlash of Magic Power, to their Spirit suffering damage, or even more dangerous outcomes like runaway elements or mental collapse.

So, when facing a Caster, you must never engage them in a direct, formal duel when they’ve had time to prepare.

Otherwise, you never know what sort of game-changing, hair-raising trump card they might pull from their Arcane Knowledge, which is as vast as a sea of stars.

So, when dealing with a Caster, there was only one iron-clad rule Roland had learned from his long history of life-and-death battles.

Catch them by surprise.

Strike at the most unexpected moment, in the most indefensible manner, with the most lethal blow.

"ROAR!"

As this thought crossed his mind, a low, suppressed roar—like the rumbling of an impending volcanic eruption—burst from deep within Roland’s throat.

The sound wasn’t loud, yet it strangely pierced the clamor of thunder and raging waves, carrying a primal menace that struck straight to the soul.

Almost at the same instant, his black eyes, once as tranquil as the night, were suddenly replaced by an inhuman, blazing, and majestic molten gold.

His pupils contracted into two cold, vertical slits, like a predator’s gaze, locking onto the human Mage in the air who had suddenly stiffened upon sensing the danger.

And this was only the beginning.

It was as if internal shackles were being cast off one by one, or a slumbering power had been instantly roused.

An ineffable "field"—a mixture of immense Life Energy, killing intent condensed to its absolute limit, and an even more ancient, profound presence—erupted outward from Roland.

This wasn’t a brute release of Energy, but more like a sudden transition in his "state of being."

His slight frame didn’t swell or warp, yet in that instant, it seemed to be infused with the weight of a mountain and boundless resilience.

Every inch of muscle, every bone, and even the blood flowing in his veins, emitted silent roars and resonated in unison.

Beneath his skin, a faint, dark-golden luminescence seemed to flow, tracing the contours of a physique enhanced to its absolute limit.

The surrounding air seemed to turn viscous, and light subtly distorted around him—not the glare of a Magic Shield, but a...

Purely physical anomaly, triggered by an overwhelmingly powerful Life Energy and concentrated will.

The sea breeze would eerily die down and part around him upon reaching a few feet of his body. Even the churning waves below seemed to briefly "cave in" directly beneath him, as if unable to withstand the terrifying pressure about to erupt from above.

At this moment, Roland was no longer the silent, observing traveler, nor the Assassin lying in wait.

He was like a Legendary Battle Bow drawn taut like a full moon, its Bowstring humming.

A peerless, vicious blade, honed to perfection and about to be unsheathed to taste blood.

A living volcano, magma churning within, its surface silent, about to erupt toward the heavens.

All his Power, all his Traits, all his combat instincts.

All of it, so long as it didn’t harm him, was compressed, condensed, and unified—aimed at a single target.

The human Great Mage in the air, who had just finished shaping a deadly spell and was now in the final, most vulnerable instant of Casting.

There was no grand fanfare, no dazzling display of light.

Time, it seemed, was stretched infinitely in this moment.

And from the human Mage’s perspective, he didn’t even have time to register what that crimson flash was.

Was it killing intent given substance, or the manifestation of some unknown Superpower?

His battle instincts, honed over countless fights, moved his body before his mind could even process the threat.

"VMM!"

A low, short syllable was forced from his throat. It wasn’t a complete Spell, but a pre-set, Instant Cast defensive command that cost a portion of his Spiritual Power.

The nearly complete [Ring of Dissociation] between his hands instantly disintegrated into chaotic motes of Arcane light. The price was a dull ache in his chest from the backflow of Magic Power and a momentary lapse in his Spirit.

But at the same time, three translucent Force Field Shields, their smooth surfaces inscribed with intricate Runes, instantly materialized at his sides, forming a triangular formation that enclosed him at its center.

One faced the direction of the attack, while the other two sealed off the flanks and the space diagonally above.

This was his last-resort, life-saving Magic.

Though not as comprehensive as High Tier Protective Spells, its advantage lay in its extremely fast activation and impressive defense against both physical and Energy Shocks.

But just as the barrier took shape, the attack arrived.

There was no thunderous collision of Energy as expected, nor any sharp, ear-piercing shriek of an object tearing through the air.

The attacker’s figure cast a blurry, distorted silhouette on the smooth surface of the Force Field Shield, their speed as fast as black lightning tearing through the night sky.

"THUD!"

A colossal, incredibly muffled sound, as if a heavy mallet were striking thick leather.

The Force Field Shield that took the brunt of the impact caved inward violently, its surface instantly covered with pale golden, web-like cracks, its light dimming rapidly.

Behind the Shield, the human Mage’s body shook violently, as if he had been shoved hard by an invisible force, drifting back several feet.

A trace of genuine astonishment finally flashed through his light-blue eyes.

’This Power...’

’Something’s wrong!’

’This isn’t pure brute force. It’s interwoven with several indescribable types of power, allowing it to shake the defensive structure of the [Tri-Element Barrier] so quickly.’

He glanced swiftly at the Force Field Shield on the verge of shattering, then at the other two, which were undamaged but flickering erratically now that the triangular formation was broken. His mind raced.

’One enemy. Extraordinary speed and instantaneous burst Power. A unique attack style. Likely a close-combat Extraordinary Professional... I can’t let him tie me down in melee!’

His vast combat experience led him to an immediate, rational conclusion.

Taking advantage of the brief respite his opponent might need after that strike, he unhesitatingly abandoned any thought of stabilizing his defenses. The tip of his Magic Staff flashed with an eerie light...

"BOOM!"

It wasn’t an attack. Instead, a composite, ring-shaped Force Field—a mixture of ice crystals, electric arcs, and pure concussive force—erupted outward from his body!

[Ice Nova]!

This was a wide-area, Instant Cast crowd-control spell designed to repel enemies.

Though its lethality wasn’t fatal, its combined effects of freezing, paralysis, and knockback were more than enough to forcibly push back any approaching enemy and create precious distance for Casting.

The ring-shaped Force Field expanded rapidly, leaving white frost congealing in its wake as fine serpents of electricity crackled through the air.

Meanwhile, propelled by the recoil from the Force Field’s eruption, the human Mage shot backward toward the thunderclouds above. His lips were already moving, preparing a more threatening offensive or control spell.

His tactics were clear and efficient.

Create distance, re-establish his Casting rhythm, and crush this interloper with more powerful and difficult-to-evade Magic.

However, he had underestimated his assailant’s determination. He had also underestimated the almost bestial combat tenacity he displayed after his initial surprise attack failed to be decisive.

No retreat, only advance!

Instead of dodging or evading, the blurry figure plunged headfirst into the blinding light and chaotic Energy of the erupting [Ice Nova], charging straight into the expanding ring of ice and lightning.

"SZZT! CRACKLE!"

Ice crystals shattered against his body and serpents of electricity coiled and gnawed at him, yet they failed to slow his advance in the slightest.

The faint, barely perceptible, pale golden luminescence covering his body seemed to grant him an astonishing Elemental Resistance.

Even more disconcerting, his vertical pupils—like slits forged from molten gold—grew ever clearer amidst the chaotic light. They remained locked on the retreating Mage, cold, focused, and utterly devoid of emotion.

It was as if he hadn’t just smashed through an explosive Energy Field capable of severely injuring and slowing an ordinary Combat Professional, but merely a fragile spiderweb.

’How is this possible?’

The alarm bells in the human Mage’s mind screamed.

Although his [Ice Nova] wasn’t a killing blow, for his opponent to shrug it off so nonchalantly meant their magic resistance or Elemental Resistance was absurdly high.

Retreating and advancing, the two figures drew completely opposite trajectories in the air, yet the distance between them was closing at a suffocating speed.

The Runes for the human Mage’s second spell had only just begun to form in mid-air when the dark silhouette pierced through the lingering effects of the ice and lightning and was upon him once more.

This time, a sharp, cold gleam of eerie purple light flickered unsteadily in his opponent’s hand.

The Short Spike thrust out silently. Its trajectory was cunning and ruthless, aimed precisely at the Mage’s flank—which had become sluggish as he struggled to retreat while Casting—and at several key nodes where his Magic Power flowed.

Strike where he must defend; disrupt his rhythm.

The human Mage was forced to interrupt his Casting again. He swung his Magic Staff hastily, laying down layers of rapidly stacked [Mage Armor] and a small [Deflection Force Field] at his side.

At the same time, an Arcane Radiance flared at his feet as he attempted to perform a short-distance emergency [Flash Technique].

"CLINK! CLINK! PFFT!"

The eerie purple Short Spike seemed to have a life of its own, transforming in Roland’s hand into streaks of soul-stealing light.

The first strike landed on the reinforced, layered Armor, creating a sharp clang like metal on stone. The Armor rippled violently.

The angle of the second strike shifted slightly, piercing through the thinner Deflection Force Field and producing a soft hiss of energy Annihilation.

The third strike...

...was already closing in on the Mage’s side.

So fast!

Too fast!

The sequence was hopelessly fluid!

The human Mage’s expression finally twisted. He realized he’d made two mistakes.

First, he had underestimated his opponent’s resistance and speed in their extreme state.

Second, and more fatally, he had misjudged his opponent’s combat style.

This was no ordinary Combat Professional who relied on brute force. The finesse of their Combat Skills, their grasp of timing, and their insight into a Caster’s weaknesses were all master-class!

"SKRRCH!"

In the end, the Short Spike failed to completely penetrate the hastily erected defenses. Less than half an inch into the Mage’s ribs, it was deflected by a suddenly flaring, proximity-triggered Magic Talisman, managing only to carve out a shallow gash.

But the condensed power behind the blow—carrying a strange, penetrating and corrosive effect—viciously burrowed into the wound!

"Ngh!"

The human Mage grunted, his face paling. The sensation from his side wasn’t just sharp pain; it was a nauseating feeling of his own power being disrupted, his Spirit wavering.

What horrified him even more was that the Arcane Radiance for the nearly-complete [Flash Technique] at his feet flickered violently from the sudden injury and energy interference, on the verge of collapsing.

’An opening!’

The light in Roland’s molten-gold vertical pupils blazed, as if two clusters of cold fire were burning within them.

His left hand shot out like lightning. Fingers spread, he made a sharp clenching motion in the air toward the unsteady Mage, whose spell was on the brink of failure.

An invisible yet immense pressure, as heavy as a mountain, suddenly descended.

Spiritual Energy, originating from the depths of his soul, forcibly compressed and solidified the space immediately around the Mage.

While it couldn’t truly immobilize a Great Mage, that momentary lag and interference was more than enough to be fatal in the ever-shifting chaos of close combat.

At the same time, the eerie purple Short Spike in his right hand was raised again.

This time, the cold gleam condensed at the tip of the blade flickered unsteadily, as if it could devour even light itself.

Its target was the side of his opponent’s neck—the very spot where his Magic Flow had become most sluggish and his defenses were weakest due to the injury and interference.

Life and death would be decided in an instant.