"Kyaaa!"
The moment the three black-robed figures burst in and sent the door flying, screams rang out from the audience. The broadcast room descended into chaos within seconds.
"Everyone calm down! Stay calm!"
Officers stationed since last night rushed forward to control the situation. They displayed their identification while requesting backup from headquarters.
"...It's going to be chaotic."
Berith looked at the scene without concern, his voice sweet and clear. He let the police make contact and communicate without interfering.
"What should we do next, Barbatos?"
The decision-making authority of the Night Shadow thieves depended on who led each mission. This time, all authority rested with the tough-looking middle-aged man.
"Let them call for backup if they want..."
Barbatos didn't care. His sharp gaze fixed on the ancient materials displayed in the corner.
Those materials were exactly what they'd come for.
He licked his lips, then stomped hard on the ground. The earth trembled like an earthquake. People still inside crowded toward the exits. Before they could escape, pillars of earth and stone erupted in the materials area, pushing the ancient materials up into the sky.
"Let me handle it."
Berith laughed. He waved his hand and a red steed formed from flames appeared from his shadow. He jumped onto its back and galloped elegantly into the air.
His speed was too much for ordinary people and police to follow. But not for one sharp-eyed old man ready to respond.
Whoosh!
"...Just as the young lady said. But I didn't think you'd dare barge in like this in broad daylight."
Sword Master Zheng Renyi moved to block Berith's way completely. He stood calmly, his drawn sword held loosely at his side.
"Don't get in my way!"
Berith's voice turned sharp with displeasure. He spread his hand and a bright red spear formed from flames appeared. He swung the flame spear at Zheng Renyi like a knight charging at an enemy.
"That's a really interesting technique..."
The Sword Master was full of excitement. He gripped his beloved sword and drew a beautiful arc, clashing with the flame spear. Explosions and gusts of wind rang out like the signal of battle beginning.
Police and authorities quickly evacuated viewers and staff through the back door, leaving only those who could handle themselves.
Fwoosh!
While attention was drawn to Zheng Renyi and Berith clashing midair, Vepar—whose identity was well-concealed—started moving. They shot toward the ancient materials with unbelievable speed.
"I'll have to stop you right here."
If Zheng Renyi defended above, General Liu Yianfei defended below. He moved. White sword radiance shot forward to block Vepar's path. Its intensity could injure even a Grandmaster if they weren't careful.
"..."
Vepar had no intention to waste time conversing. When blocked, they retreated one step, then Grandmaster-level qi exploded from their body, making their cloak billow.
"A cultivator?"
Liu Yianfei was slightly surprised, not having noticed at first. He worked for the military, so he was quite knowledgeable about international criminal groups. But when the Night Shadow thieves appeared in this country five years ago, no reports confirmed cultivators among them.
This meant the Night Shadow group had grown significantly over five years. All their existing data was probably useless now.
This androgynous figure called "Vepar" definitely wasn't in the reports five years ago.
"...Move aside."
The hoarse, modified voice gave Liu Yianfei pause. But he gripped his sword tightly and kept blocking.
"Didn't think cultivators would join Night Shadow."
He tried to engage them in conversation. It didn't work. Vepar moved. Their body disappeared without a trace. The General sensed coldness from the side.
Clang!
His white sword rose to defend against the qi blast just in time. But the qi scattered and struck his arm, ripping his shirt to shreds.
"General!"
Chen Deming, as judge and temporary head of the Alchemist Association, couldn't leave. He looked at Liu Yianfei's arms, which were starting to turn a dark purple, with worry.
"...Poison, huh."
Liu Yianfei narrowed his eyes. His arms still felt fine, but he could clearly sense the cold poison qi trying to burrow into them.
Bai Fanxian watched the situation calmly. The poison Liu Yianfei received wasn't as severe as it looked. She was about to act when Barbatos started moving.
He reached behind him. The bow appeared in his hand. He pulled the string and brown arrows formed from his power, then released two of them with a shriek of air.
Both arrows shot out—one up, one down. They went straight for Liu Yianfei and Zheng Renyi's centers. Both men were entangled in battle, unable to divide their attention to defend in time!
Flash!
Of course Bai Fanxian wouldn't allow that. She appeared before the surprised Barbatos with purple qi that stopped both arrows just in time. The middle-aged man quickly jumped back several steps.
His sharp hawk-like eyes tracked every movement—every action and slight shift, no matter how small, he saw it all.
This was one of his abilities. Eyes that could see through all movements. Combined with ancient tribal archery techniques, it made his combat effectiveness soar even higher.
"You're Bai Fanxian, right?"
Barbatos asked. From the reports, she was the last person to fight the red dragon before it mysteriously disappeared.
What was important was that she'd fought the Dragon Queen without injury. Her power couldn't be underestimated. Barbatos gathered focus into his eyes. Both black eyes glowed faintly as he prepared for battle.
"...What techniques do you practice?"
Bai Fanxian focused more on the techniques Barbatos and his group used. They used principles similar to cultivators, but there was something different.
Could they be Western techniques?
Barbatos and Berith's facial features didn't look like Easterners with black hair and eyes. That had to be it.
From books and conversations with old butler Huang Zihuan, she knew this world still had technique types like magic spells, dark magic, or occult arts that appeared in Western records.
But Barbatos didn't answer. He stomped his foot and spears of earth pierced upward at Bai Fanxian. She flew into the sky to dodge the attacks while observing the principles of their power use.
He seemed to be waiting for this moment. The instant she flew up, he pulled the bowstring to its limit. Three golden arrows appeared in his hands. He released them at once. Each arrow was packed with power that could pierce through Grandmaster-level protection easily.
They spread out in curving paths, blocking all her escape routes. At the same time, he pulled again. Three more arrows appeared, shooting from the bow and slicing through the air.
"Grandmaster Bai!?"
Elder Fang Niang was another person present. She saw the attacks shooting at Bai Fanxian from all directions. But Martial Artist-level strength had no standing in this battlefield. She hadn't even moved when those attacks already reached their target!
Flash!
The Association elders stared with mouths agape. They weren't familiar with Bai Fanxian's martial arts strength. So when she waved her hand and stopped those arrows midair just like the first time, they seemed under a spell.
Bai Fanxian narrowed her eyes. She was the only one who could stop that attack. She believed its intensity would injure even Zheng Renyi, a ninth-stage Grandmaster, if he had to stop all the arrows like she did.
But Barbatos was the most surprised.
"Since when has this country had people this strong?"
He murmured softly. It was the same moment the clashes on the other two sides were showing results.
Slash!
Sword Master Zheng Renyi's blade struck Berith's flame spear in a bizarre posture. Berith's eyes widened in shock. The spear created from his power was cut in two by the old man with one sword. He rode his fire steed back while creating a new spear.
General Liu Yianfei, though injured by poison, wasn't that much weaker than Vepar. His body glowed white and pure wind suddenly spread from his center. He lightly swung his sword twice and sent Vepar's seemingly frail body flying toward the door.
"...These people are stronger than ordinary Grandmasters."
Barbatos watched Vepar stagger and frowned. Barging in directly like this was a mistake.
"Barbatos, let's retreat and regroup." Berith spoke with a calm tone. Although surprised, there was no worry in his sweet, clear voice at all.
He acted as if he could escape whenever he wanted.
"Let's do that. I underestimated these cultivators." Especially that dangerous woman. This last thought he kept to himself as he waved for his two companions to retreat.
"...Don't think you can just leave so easily."
"Did you ask us?"
Liu Yianfei shot forward, surrounded by white light, sword in hand. At the same time, Zheng Renyi gathered qi so tightly packed that his beloved sword trembled. The air shrieked twice as both released their most intense techniques.
Clang!
They saw Barbatos standing there, watching the attacks shoot at him with an indifferent posture. When those attacks hit, smoke obscured vision. But when it cleared, Liu Yianfei and Zheng Renyi had to stare in disbelief.
Barbatos hadn't moved. He'd raised both hands to receive both attack streams fully. Instead of his hands being severed or injured, they were completely without wounds!
Rumble...
Intense pressure gradually released from his body. The power level made even Zheng Renyi, a ninth-stage Grandmaster, feel completely outmatched.
Because the power level Barbatos displayed was already a level beyond Grandmaster!