Chapter 184: Violent Rescue, Two Culprits?

"Wait a moment." Seeing Wang Yu reach for his gear, Evia called out to stop him, then took the Weaver’s Grimoire from his waist.

Opening the outer casing, the girl installed a small alchemical component she had been tinkering with.

"A dual-core upgrade. I’ve optimized the mana circuits; it allows you to cast a lower-tier spell simultaneously with a higher-tier one. Mind you, this increases the load and consumption on the mana crystal power structure, so try to avoid sustained, heavy casting."

She handed the modified grimoire back to Wang Yu, explaining as she did so.

"Good luck!" She gave him a thumbs-up.

"Right." Wang Yu high-fived her, tucked the upgraded grimoire back into his belt, and rushed toward the location provided by the magitech communicator.

"Sigh, I hope he stays careful." The girl watched his retreating back and sighed softly.

Wang Yu’s fighting style always made one’s heart skip a beat; he was either wounded or on his way to becoming so.

This was dictated by his current strength—relying on a regenerative capacity far beyond that of his enemies, he traded wounds for wounds. Others died, he was left severely injured. Yet, even knowing this, Evia hated to see him hurt.

She placed a metal page on the desk, picked up an alchemical lens to observe the details, and carefully etched intricate magic patterns with a stylus.

A fourth-tier spell: Phase Gate. This was likely the first time she had attempted to integrate a spatial displacement spell into the grimoire’s list.

Theoretically, any spell she could cast could be inscribed into the grimoire once its structure was analyzed, but only in practice did one realize how difficult that truly was.

Deconstructing a three-dimensional spell, using the corresponding formulas, and replicating the model onto a thin metal page via inscriptions—that was merely the basic requirement. Doing only that would result in nothing more than a one-time-use scroll.

Evia had to ensure the spell could be reused, which required optimizing and altering the model’s structure.

The sheer volume of magical theory and calculation involved was immense. Only a genius like Evia could handle such complexity before reaching the rank of Archmage.

Of course, the basic mathematical theories and formulas Wang Yu brought from Earth played a vital role.

This advanced knowledge gave Evia a significant advantage in calculation. Technology might be divided by worlds, but mathematics was universal.

...

"What’s the situation this time? Which noble is under attack?" Wang Yu asked, seeking the details Ziggy hadn’t had time to provide over the communicator.

Since the murder of Viscount Glenn, several more nobles had been killed.

The assailant, shrouded in black smoke, relied on the raw power of a Great Knight and a substance on his skin that masked detection to kill two more viscounts and a baron, despite their guards.

The killer was strange; he seemed to perfectly predict the patrol routes of the City Guard and the Night’s Edge.

Though both groups had intensified their city-wide patrols, manpower limitations left gaps.

The killer seized these tiny windows every time, ensuring the longest possible escape time after each strike.

Notably, despite the rising death toll, the Royal Court remained indifferent to the loss of these "authorities."

They had dispatched a few elite knights from the Royal Guard to protect the high nobility, but otherwise remained silent, their attitude quite ambiguous.

The ones most anxious were the noble circles and alliances themselves; having gained power, they feared the moment it might be snatched away.

Collaborating nobles spent fortunes hiring mercenaries and setting up defensive arrays in their homes to avoid the fate of their peers.

The killer had the entire noble circle in a panic. Being targeted by an elusive Great Knight was a nightmare.

Being targeted by an Archmage meant you couldn't stay in the capital, but being targeted by a Great Knight meant that no matter where you went, a single moment of carelessness would cost you your life and your head.

"If these nobles didn't trust the Royal Court so blindly, I’d suspect the killer was one of theirs," Wang Yu grumbled to Ziggy, who was handling their communications.

As the situation escalated, Captain Shugyin and Ziggy had joined the pursuit.

Now, whenever Ziggy spotted the killer’s trail, he acted as the coordinator, providing real-time intelligence from the Rift.

"It’s not the Royal Court. Even if these nobles contribute little to the war or the kingdom, the Court wouldn't disrupt noble order just before the Council of Elders re-election. It’s more likely these nobles are eliminating potential rivals."

Ziggy’s reply reached Wang Yu.

The common thread among the victims was indeed their bid for seats on the Council.

This added a layer of internal infighting to the panic. If that were the case, the Court’s ambiguity made sense.

But was it true? Did this violation of the rules of the noble game actually benefit them?

Was a seat on the Council worth the risk of being suddenly murdered?

"Sharl’s Wheel of Fortune tarot cards provide random and limited information. We still don't know if these victims shared a history of evil deeds."

"Viscount Glenn and the baron did, but the others are unclear. Is your goal truly to deliver punishment..."

Lost in thought, Wang Yu quickened his pace, leaping across the rooftops of the capital, occasionally using a dash spell from the grimoire to cover long distances through the air.

The glow of fire appeared in his vision; smoke rose from a high-end mansion.

From his vantage point, he saw City Guard and Night’s Edge members rushing from nearby streets, though none could match his ability to ignore the terrain.

"Wang Yu, can you hear me? Intense fighting is underway. This is Viscount Nick’s mansion. He is still alive, and his guards are engaging the killer."

Edward’s voice came through the real-time link facilitated by Ziggy. With the help of the Rift, Edward had arrived at the mansion before Wang Yu.

"What’s the situation? Can those guards hold off a Great Knight?"

Wang Yu vaulted off a rooftop, spotting Edward waiting at the mansion gate.

"Unclear. The place has been set on fire. It’s too intense to observe from outside. We have to go in. But I doubt the guards can hold out much longer."

"Wang Yu, I’m going in with you to pin him down. He’s a Great Knight, but with my stealth and your abilities, we should survive long enough for Captain Shugyin to arrive. He’s on his way."

"Understood. I’m coming. Hold him off if you can," Shugyin’s voice echoed in the group channel.

"I’m traveling via the Rift, but I’m too far away. Damn it, I won't make it in time."

Sharl’s frustrated voice followed. He was too far away to arrive within ten minutes.

"I’m here. Edward, let’s go."

Sliding off the final rooftop, Wang Yu reached the street. He activated Storm-Foot, the powerful airflow cushioning his descent.

He exchanged a look with Edward, and with tacit understanding, Wang Yu took the lead, smashing through the wall into the roaring inferno.

The fire was fierce; the wooden structure was carbonizing and collapsing. Stone bricks fell from the ceiling, crashing into the hallway amidst the flames.

"This house won't last five minutes. If the Night’s Edge team doesn't have a mage, the Viscount will die in the collapse even if he survives the killer."

Wang Yu assessed the fire and accelerated, moving in a straight line toward the sounds of violent conflict caught by his heightened senses.

Edward activated his stealth, casting an invisible barrier around them to deflect falling debris and stray flames.

Wang Yu handled the demolition. He smashed through doors without hesitation, and when faced with walls, he either blasted a hole with a second-tier fireball or channeled vibration into his fist, shattering the masonry instantly.

Approaching the heart of the fire, Wang Yu channeled the grimoire, converting mana into ice elements that gathered around his fist.

The massive ice fist pulverized every obstacle in its path, the extreme cold briefly suppressing the surrounding flames.

"Boom! Crack!" The stone walls ahead exploded under his blow, sending debris flying and creating a gap for Edward to follow.

After shattering the final wall, Wang Yu burst through, smashing a bookshelf in the process.

Amidst the flying wood chips, he arrived at the scene of the battle. The interior was built of sturdier stone, and the fire was less intense here.

He scanned the room: several guards lay broken, their limbs snapped and chests caved in. A few were struggling to rise.

A nobleman was huddled in a corner, guarded by four men, watching the black-smoke-shrouded figure as it danced through the remaining guards.

The figure’s speed and strength were terrifying; it held its own against the combined assault of the guards, even gaining the upper hand.

Facing blades from every angle, the figure dodged with minimal, precise movements, each shift narrowly avoiding the steel.

The smoke-wreathed figure lunged, fists and kicks shattering the noble guards' longswords with every strike.

A single blow meant broken bones and shattered sinew, leaving the victim as incapacitated as those already strewn across the floor.

Something was amiss; based on the strength the assassin displayed last time, these guards—a mix of official and apprentice knights—should have been dismantled in moments.

Yet now, while still formidable, the entity lacked its former, terrifying edge.

"Move!" Wang Yu cleared his thoughts in a heartbeat, shouting a warning before hurling the massive ice fist he had conjured.

The colossal crystalline gauntlet whistled through the air, driven by Wang Yu’s raw strength toward the encircled shadow.

Wang Yu’s timing was impeccable, catching the figure just as it darted aside, predicting its path with lethal precision.

"Bang!" The guards reacted swiftly, scattering to let the ice fist thunder past them and slam squarely into the dodging figure.

"Hold the line! I’m getting the Viscount out!" Wang Yu roared, knowing the ice fist was merely a distraction, not a killing blow.

"Cackle..." The shadow crossed its arms, absorbing the impact, though the kinetic force skidded its feet across the floor, carving deep grooves into the stone.

The diligent guards seized the opening, swarming the creature once more to buy the time Wang Yu demanded.

"Indeed, it’s weaker... though that’s a blessing."

Wang Yu glanced back; the figure was barely holding its own as a Grand Knight, a far cry from their previous encounter.

Back then, the creature would have pulverized his ice fist with a single punch before carving a path of slaughter to Viscount Nick.

Seizing the moment, Wang Yu sprinted to the Viscount, who was huddled behind four trembling guards. "Blade of Night, forgive the intrusion, but I’m taking you out."

He identified himself, waved the guards aside, and gripped the shoulders of the terrified nobleman.

"Edward, can your barrier withstand a third-tier spell?" Wang Yu called out.

"Yes, at full output, it could even hold against a fourth-tier strike."

Understanding Wang Yu’s intent through their long-standing rapport, Edward didn't hesitate; his aura surged, and his "Bulwark" flared, encasing the bewildered Viscount in a dense, invisible shell.

Wang Yu pressed his palms against the barrier, channeling his mental energy into the Weaver’s Tome to ignite his most potent third-tier spell: Purgatory Cannon.

A violent explosion of fire elements erupted between his palms, intensified by the inferno already consuming the mansion, creating a volatile, high-pressure blast.

With a blinding flash and a deafening roar, Wang Yu unleashed the Purgatory Cannon at point-blank range against the shielded Viscount.

In an instant, the shielded man was launched like a projectile at a terrifying velocity.

The sheer kinetic energy turned the Viscount into a living cannonball, punching through the mansion’s walls without resistance.

He tore through layer after layer of masonry, hurtling out of the crumbling, flame-licked structure.

"Boom!" Wang Yu and the stunned guards watched as the Viscount smashed into a building across the street, showering the area in debris and leaving a gaping, jagged hole in his wake.

It was a reckless gamble, but Wang Yu had succeeded—the Viscount was out, and presumably, still in one piece.

The suddenness of the act left everyone frozen; the burst of flame had vanished, and with it, the Viscount.

"Retreat! Get out through the breach before this place collapses!" Edward shouted, urging the guards toward the hole left by the "Viscount-cannon."

He and Wang Yu drew their weapons, standing firm against the shadow, which had been momentarily stunned by the absurdity of the event.

Now, it was time for their coordinated assault; the mismatched guards were only a liability.

"Buy time, but prioritize your own safety," Zig’s voice echoed in their minds.

"I’m almost there. Don't be reckless; a Grand Knight is beyond your reach," Shugin warned.

"Understood," Wang Yu replied, though he had no intention of dying—if the tide turned, he would flee without a second thought.

They closed in, the pressure of facing a Grand Knight mounting with every step.

"Clack!" To their utter astonishment, the shadow didn't strike; it turned and bolted, vanishing into the burning corridors of the mansion.

"What!?" Wang Yu and Edward exchanged a look, but Wang Yu’s body moved faster than his thoughts, sprinting in pursuit.

He stopped dead in the corridor, his eyes widening in disbelief at the sight before him.

In the hallway, one smoke-wreathed figure held another by the throat, hoisting it into the air as it struggled in vain.

The glowing eye of the captor flickered, locking onto Wang Yu with an inscrutable gaze.

The assassin? Two of them?