He didn't know who the hidden third party was, nor did he know their objective.
But it was best to avoid any trouble he could.
'While they're focused on that Adventurer Squad, I need to get out of here!'
Lin Mo reacted instantly. His movements were swift, without a shred of hesitation.
But it seemed his opponent had no intention of letting him go. They had already made their move almost as soon as the second Arrow was fired.
RUSTLE—
It was like the faint whisper of a breeze through the leaves, a sound so subtle and inconspicuous that it was lost in the thud of Lin Mo's own footsteps.
Yet hidden within was a vicious, deadly attack.
THUD!
Lin Mo's foot landed on solid earth, his body still leaping forward. The scenery rushed past as his chest swelled with an indrawn breath. In that same instant, a prickling sense of danger, like thorns against his back, made his scalp tingle so intensely it felt like it would explode.
He spun around, the Sword in his hand swinging out on pure instinct—
"Slashing!"
Time seemed to freeze. A cold glint of light, blinding under the sun, flashed across his vision. He stared at the fleeting reflection, his eyes tracking it, widening until his sockets throbbed with pain.
Finally, he made out the blurry trajectory. In less than half a second, he mobilized every muscle in his body, shifting his blade's path by about ten centimeters.
CLANG—!
The sharp ring of metal on metal vibrated in his ears. The distinct counterforce traveling up his arm and the tangible sensation of impact jolted Lin Mo from his hyper-focused state.
He quickly drew back, his gaze fixed gravely on his attacker.
The man was clad head-to-toe in tight, emerald green clothing. A bandana was wrapped around his head, and a black cloth masked his face, obscuring his features.
All that could be seen was a pair of narrow, deep-set eyes and the fine wrinkles creasing the skin around them.
An Assassin!
An Assassin whose speed matched, or even surpassed, his own!
The Assassin was just as shocked. He gripped his Short Knife, feeling the force that had left his forearm tingling. His deep-set eyes couldn't hide his utter astonishment.
'A guaranteed killing blow, parried with such precision.'
'And for a hasty counterattack, it carried such astonishing power he could barely withstand it.'
'This kid is far stronger than I expected.'
There was no more time for thought. The next instant, the Assassin lunged again. At this range, the Short Knife had an absolute speed advantage over a Long Sword. Lin Mo could only retreat rapidly to dodge the strike.
However, the Assassin had anticipated his reaction. With a flick of the wrist, he followed up with a direct thrust aimed straight for Lin Mo's heart!
This was a truly experienced, well-trained Assassin. Every strike was a killing blow aimed at a vital point.
With nowhere left to dodge, Lin Mo could only twist his body. The Sharp Short Knife plunged into his chest. He clearly felt the blade scrape against his sternum, followed by a momentary impact and then a gushing warmth.
The Burning sensation enraged Lin Mo. He shot out his left hand, grabbing the Assassin's wrist and squeezing with all his might.
Agonizing pain forced the Assassin's hand to go limp, releasing the hilt of his knife. Before the smug look in his eyes could turn to panic, a sharp Sword blade had already sliced upward from Lin Mo's lower right, burying itself in the Assassin's torso until it came to a hard stop against his spine.
Amid the sensation of hitting hard bone, there was a slight give. Lin Mo didn't stop exerting force. With a furious roar, his eyes shot with blood, he yanked the Assassin's wrist in the opposite direction of his own Sword.
CRACK—!
After the crisp snap, the Sword's path was clear. It slid through without resistance.
Lin Mo released his grip just in time. The Assassin's upper torso flew through the air while the lower half crashed to the ground. A splash of red and green painted the earth.
HUFF—! HUFF—!
Lin Mo gasped for air, his breaths heavy and ragged. Only now did the searing pain in his chest truly hit him, twisting his face into a ferocious grimace.
He stumbled back a few steps, leaning against a tree as he looked down to inspect the wound.
The Short Knife had struck right next to his sternum, penetrating about three or four centimeters. It had lodged between two ribs, which stopped it from going any deeper.
'I got lucky…'
If he had twisted a fraction of a second slower, or if the angle had been off by even a little, the blade would have punctured a lung, even if it missed his heart. That would have been a much more troublesome injury.
As Lin Mo regulated his breathing and forced himself to calm down, he remained vigilant, watching for another potential attack.
Meanwhile, the Adventurer Squad behind him was locked in a difficult battle.
The figures hiding in the shadows finally emerged from the dense woods. They were all dressed in outfits similar to the Assassin Lin Mo had just killed. One wielded a Heavy Sword, another a Heavy Axe, a third carried a Rapier, and the last one, standing at the rear of the formation, was the Ranger who had fired the Arrow moments before.
Four of them in total—the same number as the Adventurer Squad.
But in terms of Combat Power, the two sides were clearly mismatched.
Bain took the lead, charging at the head of the squad to face the Warrior wielding the Heavy Sword.
The Heavy Sword crashed against his iron shield. The massive force of the impact sent both combatants stumbling backward, but Bain was clearly the one less affected. Seizing the opportunity, he planted his foot, using the ground for leverage to push off again, and swung his Sword at his opponent's throat.