Faced with such a "lavish" attack, Johnsen and his three friends had no time to react before they were each struck by dozens of demon-hunting bullets.
Among his three companions, the strongest was only Sequence 7, while the other two were of lower sequence. They were instantly torn apart by the bullets.
As for Johnsen, a layer of green radiance flared around him first—his extraordinary clothing had detected the deadly danger and automatically formed a "barrier."
But the "barrier" was not high-grade. It only blocked the fiery serpent of bullets for one second before being breached.
Yet that single second was enough for him to respond!
Faced with the threat of death, Johnsen displayed the composure expected of a mid-sequence Beyonder. He neither flew into a rage nor panicked. Instead, he calmly activated two charms—one forming a "shield," the other hardening his skin to steel—while solemnly proclaiming to the bullets about to strike him:
"God said, null and void!"
Normally, counting the already-damaged barrier from his clothes, three layers of defense plus "Judged Invalid" should have been more than enough to block the barrage of demon-hunting bullets, allowing Johnsen to calmly search for the assailant or prepare other countermeasures…
But Johnsen quickly realized he was wrong. The bullets tore through the shield's defense, and as more slammed into the same spot, they pierced even his "steel skin"!
With a crisp crack, the gemstone ring on Johnsen's finger shattered of its own accord, and his figure "blinked" three meters away.
It was obvious that another life-saving magical item had just activated.
Even so, Johnsen's face looked grim. He had already guessed the reason why his "Judged Invalid" had failed.
"Briber!
"My ambusher is a Briber… the bullets acted as bribes, weakening my defenses!"
The thought had barely flashed across his mind when the gun muzzles of those mechanical puppets swiveled, aiming at him again.
Not daring to waste another moment, he quickly drew out a badge and rubbed it desperately between his fingers.
The badge, called "Return Path," could open a teleportation gate to a preset location… but the range was no more than ten kilometers, and activation was troublesome—it required ten rubs back and forth.
As the fiery tongues of bullets were about to lash at him again, Johnsen finally succeeded in activating the gate. But when he stepped into it, he passed straight through… teleportation failed!
Only then did he recall—before attacking the Delion family member here, he had arranged a ritual around the house…
That ritual not only blocked sound, sight, and spiritual fluctuations, but also screened teleportation!
Damn it… Before Johnsen could think further, a fresh barrage of bullets struck him, shattering the other identical ring on his other hand. Once again, he "blinked" three meters away.
I only had two rings… that was my last Blink… Johnsen admitted to himself inwardly. Without hesitation, he tore off the protective amulet he carried close and crushed it.
It was his final life-saving measure. Inside was sealed a trace of power from his granduncle. Crushing it would alert its owner.
And Johnsen's granduncle was an archbishop of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, a true demi-god who could reach anywhere in Trier within moments.
Johnsen prayed desperately that he was close by, and could arrive as soon as possible!
Yet just as the thought settled, an invisible mechanical puppet suddenly appeared behind him and fired a "Flesh Bomb."
Caught unprepared, Johnsen failed to evade. With no more magical items left, he suffered a heavy wound immediately.
—That invisible puppet was the unfinished work once left behind by Mr. Sari. For some reason, it had appeared here.
Fortunately, Johnsen himself was an "Arbiter," naturally resistant to the filth and corrupting powers inside a "Flesh Bomb," so no severe negative effects lingered.
But this strike crippled his leg, drastically reducing his mobility. He could only watch helplessly as the puppets all aimed at him and opened fire again!
"Ah!" Terrified to the extreme, Johnsen shut his eyes. Yet after several seconds, no pain came. Confused, he opened them—only to see the surrounding scene shatter abruptly.
Then he awoke.
"That was just a dream? A 'Nightmare' or a 'Dreamweaver'?" Johnsen felt no relief at this escape. Instead, dread grew—his enemy might be far scarier than imagined.
I should have noticed earlier… The ritual I set up could never block teleportation. That level of effect was beyond my ability!
And when I crushed the amulet, the power's feel was wrong too…
The enemy manipulated my thoughts… plus had dominion over dreams… A demi-god on the Audience pathway? But why would a Saint personally deal with me? And in such an insidious way!
While resentment surged within, Johnsen discovered he couldn't move at all, as though pinned by sleep paralysis. Meanwhile, his three companions—like possessed corpses—approached with vacant eyes, stripping away his clothes, rings, charms, amulets, badge, and even a revolver, delivering them all to a man and a woman stepping out of the house.
Johnsen recognized them both. The man was Trier's rising star, Ebner Bryan—the very one whose interference had ruined his Suhit Bank acquisition plan…
The woman was Fanny of the Sari family… He had taken part in killing her grandfather. She's here for revenge? How dare she?!
But… where was the demi-god on the Audience pathway?
On the other side, Ebner, monitoring Johnsen's thoughts, received the items from the three mind-controlled men. Adjusting the golden-rimmed glasses on his nose, he paid the "hosting fee," then tossed everything into the "Answer Labyrinth."
—Those three had their minds ensnared by the Devil; they were nothing but puppets now.
After all this, Ebner smiled at Fanny beside him and asked, "Feeling better?"
The one who had struck Johnsen in the dream was Fanny. Ebner had not given her much direct aid, only six endlessly-loaded mechanical puppets and a recreated version of Mr. Sari's unfinished assassin puppet.
This not only let her vent her rage but also tested all of Johnsen's hidden trump cards.
After all, as the scion of a centuries-old family, personally valued by his clan, it was natural he'd have numerous life-saving measures.
The reason Ebner had her act in a dream was to avoid leaving too many traces in reality, which investigators could later uncover.
Fanny, thrilled to have personally defeated her grandfather's killer, also understood Ebner's intentions. She nodded seriously and said, "It's enough. Kill him."
Hearing this, Johnsen desperately wanted to cry out a warning—that killing him would make the Flais family pursue them without end!
But his body was powerless. He couldn't even open his mouth. He could only watch as that woman, Fanny, stacked explosives inscribed with magical runes atop him and set a thirty-second timer.
Ebner walked to his side, squatted, and cut open his finger, taking a drop of blood.
When only three seconds remained on the timer, Ebner quickly smeared the blood onto the cover of a deep-brown book.
Johnsen barely glimpsed the ancient Fusac words:
"Grossel's Travels"
The next instant, he and the explosives vanished from the spot.
…
Meanwhile, in the World of Imagination, before a snowbound cave, the "King of the North" Yurisian had just stepped outside when a "meal" appeared at its feet.
It was not surprised. In the endless years, unlucky outsiders often stumbled upon it right away.
But this "meal" was not only stripped bare but also piled with strange items on its body…
What's this? Smells odd… spices?
Lowering its head, its violently glowing blue dragon eyes peered closer for a better look.
And in the next moment—
"Boom!"
—— Auspicious Chapter Number
(End of Chapter)