Chapter 239: Gains in Concealment Techniques, a Flustered Enri
On a street with heavily damaged paving stones.
The *Darkness* magic formed a special environment like a black mist, enveloping everything within a ten-meter radius of the battle's center.
The crowd gathered on the periphery, along with the numerous Adventurers who had rushed over, couldn't see what was happening inside at all.
This spell, which created an environment of darkness, even caused panic among many of the common people.
In the end!
The battle between the Green Leaf Witch and Tina had far surpassed the imagination of ordinary people, instilling a deep sense of fear.
"If the Green Leaf Witch doesn't have any other tricks up her sleeve, I'm afraid she's going to lose."
Tang Zheng spoke in a low voice. It was a terrible matchup. Due to the great distance, he could no longer ascertain the situation inside with his own senses alone.
Thinking of the skill he had just acquired, he formed a *Tiger* hand seal with one hand and held it before his chest.
"*Ninjutsu: Detect*."
"Mm, the mana cost of a third-tier spell."
Tang Zheng assessed the level of mana consumption as his vision and perception instantly sharpened.
In truth, he could activate ninjutsu without hand seals—the so-called "call it and it shall come"—but using ninjutsu without them always felt like something was missing.
It was like Entoma of the Maid Squad, whose Talisman Master class used talismans like the *Thunderbird Wild Dance Talisman* and *Shikigami Spider Talisman*.
It looked like she was activating paper talismans, but in reality, it was merely a form of expression, no different from magic.
*Swish!*
Within the darkness that obscured his vision, two figures about to collide came into Tang Zheng's sight.
It was much clearer than he had expected.
The Green Leaf Witch was covered in a white, flowing light, while the white sheen on Tina was somewhat weaker.
"This white sheen... is it the strength of one's life level?" Tang Zheng glanced at the crowd below the window. The white energy light on ordinary people was much fainter, just a thin layer.
Those with relatively stronger light were some of the Adventurers in the crowd. Judging by the intensity of the light, most of them were in the level 10-19 range.
Within the dense, fog-like darkness.
Tina used a sensory ninjutsu to confirm that the Green Leaf Witch, whom she had bound in place, had once again conjured the defensive magic, *Magic Armor*.
"No new tricks," Tina sneered.
The yellow boots on her feet flashed with a faint light. The ground suddenly trembled, and her already extremely fast speed increased by another notch.
*Whoosh!*
Tina, now a black shadow, arrived before the Green Leaf Witch in an instant. She threw her left hand forward:
"*Ninjutsu: Heavy Cut!*"
A ninja tool shaped like a shuriken was thrown, its surface coated in a layer of black energy.
*Thud!*
The shuriken slammed heavily in front of the Green Leaf Witch's face, letting out a dull hum as it was blocked by a layer of *Magic Armor*.
The mana on the surface of the *Magic Armor* vibrated, creating ripples.
It was blocked!
Seeing this, a smile actually appeared on Tina's lips. With a wave of her hand, she flicked her wrist: "*Ninjutsu: Star Shatter!*"
*Crack!*
The shuriken that had struck the *Magic Armor* heavily suddenly shattered, turning into fine iron filings that exploded against the armor's surface.
The double attack caused the mana on the *Magic Armor's* surface to dim considerably.
"It's over!"
Tina shouted, thrusting out the blood-streaked dagger in her hand. The sharp tip aimed straight for the spot where the shuriken had struck.
During their exchange, Tina had already deduced the defensive strength of the *Magic Armor* and its characteristics.
The blood-streaked dagger plunged in.
*Bang!*
The *Magic Armor* shattered.
An astonished Green Leaf Witch appeared before Tina.
I've won!
The thought flashed through Tina's mind, and she angled the tip of the blood-streaked dagger slightly downward.
She had no intention of killing her opponent; heavily injuring this demi-human would be enough. Otherwise, Blue Rose and Free Will would become complete enemies.
It wasn't that she was afraid, but she hadn't reported this covert action to her leader. There would inevitably be trouble once this was over.
"*Human Racial Charm!*"
A light grunt came from the Green Leaf Witch's chest.
"What?"
Tina's attack suddenly paused, but in the blink of an eye, the magic items she wore and her assassin's will forcibly broke through the mind control.
This demi-human could still cast magic under those circumstances?
Tina was equally shocked, but the movement of her hand didn't pause in the slightest. Instead, she stabbed forward even more ruthlessly.
While the White Mist Witch's covert assistance hadn't completely controlled Tina, it bought the Green Leaf Witch enough time to react. In a hoarse yet shrill voice, she shouted:
"*Wild Transformation!*"
Just as the blood-streaked dagger pierced her chest, Tina felt a powerful force from within that sent the dagger flying back.
Tina was stunned.
*BOOM!*
Outside, the large crowd of people, craning their necks on tiptoe as they looked with curiosity and fear toward the black mist-shrouded street, suddenly heard a beast-like roar.
Many of them were so frightened they fell right to the ground.
The *Darkness* magic was directly dispelled by the shockwave that erupted from the depths.
*Bang!*
Tina crossed her arms to protect her chest as her body was sent flying uncontrollably. She fell heavily to the ground, tumbling twice before steadying herself.
"*Pfft.*"
A mouthful of blood sprayed out.
Tina knelt on one knee, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her face pale as she looked ahead.
At the spot where the Green Leaf Witch had been, a strange monster had appeared. It was about 150 centimeters tall, with the body of a chicken and the tail of a snake, its body covered in dense, hard, brownish-black feathers.
"A Chicken Snake!"
Some knowledgeable Adventurers in the crowd couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
A fearsome monster that lived in swamp environments. They usually lived in groups and not only possessed the ability of flight, but some powerful individuals also mastered a petrification ability similar to a Cockatrice.
The sudden appearance of a vicious monster!
It caused the onlookers to cry out in chaos and terror. However, the many Adventurers hidden in the crowd were much calmer, though their eyes were grave.
By the window.
Tang Zheng's slightly furrowed brow relaxed. "I thought she was going to lose. I didn't expect her to have already mastered the *Wild Transformation* ability."
"A Chicken Snake, huh? I remember wiping out quite a few when I first entered the Great Swamp. The first stage of *Wild Transformation* can't transform into a monster larger than one's own body."
"Otherwise, I have plenty of materials from powerful monsters right here."
He retracted his gaze.
There was no need to watch the rest of the combat, as the victor had already been decided.
The ability of *Ninjutsu: Detect* was still active.
Tang Zheng directed this detection ability toward himself.
The next moment.
An intense white light appeared before his eyes, like a flashbang, causing Tang Zheng's pupils to contract instinctively.
*Vmmm—*
The effect of *Ninjutsu: Detect* dissipated.
"As expected. Normal detection methods can sense my current level and strength to a certain degree."
Having been blinded by himself, Tang Zheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He couldn't help but rub the corner of his eye.
This was the situation he had been worried about.
As his level increased, if someone used a perception-type ability on him, there was a chance his true strength level would be exposed.
After a moment of contemplation,
Tang Zheng activated the passive ability of his Ninja class, *Concealment Technique Mastery*. As if self-taught, he began to restrain his own aura with a mix of unfamiliarity and skill.
"*Ninjutsu: Detect!*"
He activated the ninjutsu ability again to observe himself. Under the effect of the aura-concealing technique, his originally intense white light had already dissipated a great deal.
Tang Zheng then suppressed it further, matching the intensity of the light on the Green Leaf Witch, making himself appear only a notch stronger.
"An unexpected gain. These passive abilities really can't be taken at face value based on their simple descriptions."
Tang Zheng raised his arm and clenched his fist, feeling his own suppressed aura, his eyes shining slightly.
Of course!
This was ultimately just a technique to suppress his aura. As long as Tang Zheng didn't go all out, his true aura wouldn't be exposed.
It was no problem to evade detection from some normal magic, Ki Sense from other classes, and other detection methods.
But it was impossible to deceive top-tier detection magic like *Life Essence* and *Mana Essence*. To do that, he would have to use specialized anti-intelligence countermeasures like *False Information: Life* and *False Information: Mana*.
Outside the window.
Tina was half-kneeling on the ground, a large part of her body gradually turning to stone, unable to move.
In the final clash, Tina had clearly suffered a major loss.
"*Plant Entanglement!*"
*Rustle, rustle!*
One by one, vines burst through the stone tiles on the ground, binding Tina tightly.
"Causing such a big commotion... there will be a lot of trouble to deal with next. The damaged ground and the affected shops nearby will probably have to be compensated."
"What a headache."
Tang Zheng looked down at the numerous guards in the crowd who had rushed over because of the huge commotion but didn't dare to step forward, and said softly:
"For the sake of gaining a new class, I'll let this reckless behavior slide."
He raised his gaze,
and the stat panel appeared before his eyes.
Tang Zheng merely glanced at the new ninjutsu Tina had just used before ignoring them.
He wasn't currently lacking in offensive methods. Among the ninjutsu, only four truly interested Tang Zheng.
*Ninjutsu: Detect*, *Ninjutsu: Immovable Body-Fixing Technique*, *Ninjutsu: Immovable Vajra Shield*, and *Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone Technique*.
These ninjutsu could all have their strength increased based on their mana cost.
Especially *Ninjutsu: Detect*. It could enhance its detection ability by consuming more mana. For Tang Zheng, who lacked detection methods and didn't want to waste skill points learning various tiers of detection magic, it was a perfect fit.
The only thing that surprised Tang Zheng a little...
...was that the *Shadow Clone Technique* was actually a class skill for a Ninja.
Thinking about it carefully, this ninjutsu was indeed quite powerful. After all, it could perfectly inherit the user's "Agility" and "Mana."
In a normal Rogue-class build, this skill would at most be an excellent support tool. But in Tang Zheng's hands, it was a low-spec version of *Soul of Heroic Spirits*.
A Ninja-class build could only use physical attacks and ninjutsu skills, but Tang Zheng could use all sorts of magic.
*Rumble, rumble~*
The surface of the Chicken Snake monster rippled, and its distinct brownish-black feathers retracted into its body at a visible speed.
The figure of the Green Leaf Witch re-formed, appearing before everyone. Only at this moment did most of the crowd realize that the monster that had suddenly appeared was actually the Green Leaf Witch in disguise.
"She actually won?"
"That was the faith-based *Wild Transformation*, a rather rare magic."
"Hey, hey, now's not the time to focus on that. Isn't that one of the two women from Blue Rose who practices Rogue techniques?"
"To think she'd lose to that girl with the emerald green hair. Who is she?"
The crowd of onlookers let out cries of surprise. Blue Rose had a very high reputation in the entire Royal Capital, not just because it was an adventurer squad composed entirely of women.
It was also because this squad had reached the Orichalcum Rank in an extremely short amount of time, just one step away from the top-tier Adamantite Rank Adventurers.
Of course.
Their leader, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, was also famous for her status and beauty. She was known as a charming woman who possessed the "Light of Life," second only to the Golden Princess.
"That magic caster from Free Will... her power is even greater than I thought."
"Free Will? A member of the group of that black-haired genius alchemist?"
"That's right. No wonder they were able to wipe out the Death Spreading Sword Corps, that notorious and powerful mercenary group."
"That girl with the plain clothes and blonde hair hiding in the back, is she also a member of Free Will? She looks so ordinary."
"Not just ordinary, she *is* an ordinary person. To think she was chosen by that genius alchemist. And her looks are just average."
"Hehe, I hear alchemists have always had eccentric tastes. Maybe she has some... skills that make people comfortable."
"..."
Voices filled with astonishment, shock, and other varied emotions rose from the crowd in all directions.
Enri heard the discussions coming from the crowd behind her. Her face turned a little pale, and her fingers, clutching the hem of her clothes, tightened.
What she had seen and heard over the past few days had shown Enri the prosperity and vastness of the Royal Capital. It far exceeded anything she had ever imagined, subverting much of her worldview.
A single magic item could sell for several hundred gold coins, even thousands. Her village would probably need decades, or even a century, to earn that much.
She had originally thought that the captain's alchemy potion, priced at ten gold coins, was already exorbitant.
There were also all sorts of expensive foods, pastries she had never even heard of, and a dazzling array of things.
And so on.
All of it made Enri feel completely out of place here. She was too ordinary. She neither possessed Miss Cui Ye's great power, nor did she know how to do anything.
The only thing she could do was try her best to handle the small things.
Especially now.
Faced with the gazes and the crowd, and with Miss Cui Ye's cold and arrogant personality, Enri was truly at a loss for what to do.
"Hmph."
The Green Leaf Witch snorted coldly and lifted her foot, walking toward Tina, who was bound by vines and half-petrified.
Although she didn't know why her hidden master had made her fight this human, she was relieved that she hadn't lost.
It was a good thing her sister had helped, otherwise she would have lost just now.
(end of chapter)