Block his attack, and Merlot's sword would pierce him from behind.
This was the scene Pat had envisioned, and he did exactly that, raising the Short Knife in his hand to clash head-on with his opponent.
At the same time, Merlot had already closed in from behind, striking at Lin Mo with a Thrust.
At this critical moment, Lin Mo's expression was grim, his calmness terrifying.
The instant their blades met, he flicked his wrist, using the other man's knife as a pivot. He suddenly executed a 180-degree turn. At the same time, he drew the sword from its sheath with his left hand, gripping it in a reverse hold, and launched a swift and ferocious Slashing attack at the completely stunned Merlot.
"Fuck!"
As Lin Mo executed his sudden, bizarre maneuver, Pat watched in horror as Merlot's sword blade came flying toward him. His only choice was to pull back and dodge.
The next moment, Merlot's Thrust hit empty air. The air around the sword's blade vibrated, knocking a falling leaf off its course...
...and following right behind it was his head, eyes wide open.
'It worked!'
Lin Mo felt a surge of joy, but he didn't dare relax for even a second. The moment his heel hit the ground, he quickly exerted his strength, bringing his Long Sword up horizontally before him.
However, it turned out he had overestimated his opponent.
Pat was completely stunned by Lin Mo's maneuver. He was so taken aback that he forgot to attack.
He only rushed forward after seeing Merlot's head hit the ground, but by then, he had already missed the perfect opportunity.
'Good.'
To be honest, that last move had been risky. In that instant, he had completely exposed his back to a dangerous Assassin. Lin Mo had been prepared to trade a serious injury for a life.
Fortunately, the Fine Sword Warrior hadn't anticipated it at all. His thrust had been so straightforward that Lin Mo's unexpected maneuver had redirected it right at his own companion. Combined with Pat's subsequent moment of shock, Lin Mo had managed to pull off a desperate reversal at no cost.
As for Pat's ensuing attack, Lin Mo, having already readjusted himself, was naturally unafraid.
With a sword in one hand and a Short Knife in the other, he was equipped for both long and short ranges. Up close, Pat couldn't do anything to Lin Mo. If any distance was created between them, Pat would only find himself in a more difficult position.
Meanwhile, Evan and Millian had finally taken down their opponent, but at the cost of Evan taking two sword wounds.
Millian, now free, began to harass the captain, helping the nearly exhausted Bain to barely stabilize the situation.
For the members of the Blood Sea Gang, the situation had become as dire as it could be.
Their team of six was now down to just two, while the other side hadn't lost a single person...
All of it was because of this black-haired young man.
Of the four who had died, three had been killed by his hand!
Pat looked at the increasingly confident smile on his opponent's face and gradually fell into self-doubt.
He had gone from never taking his opponent seriously and vowing revenge for his teacher to being forced into a desperate situation. The huge disparity caused his mentality to crumble, and his movements began to falter.
Soon, Lin Mo seized an opportunity and chopped off his right hand with his sword.
Immediately after, a Short Knife flew toward his face. Pat dodged it by a hair's breadth, but Lin Mo's left-handed Long Sword followed, letting him experience the sensation of his vision flying through the air.
Watching his last subordinate get killed, the captain's eyes went wide with fury. He roared continuously, launching a frenzied assault.
Bain, his face grim, stood before him like a city wall. Blood continuously poured from the wound on his back as he exerted himself, his strength nearly spent. Yet, he gritted his teeth and blocked the enemy's attacks, one after another.
The captain's pressure mounted. He was forced to divide his attention among the others. The moment his guard slipped, an Arrow from Millian would mercilessly fly his way.
Although injured, Evan stood a dozen or so meters behind Bain. He regulated his breathing to recover his strength while keeping his eyes fixed on the captain, ready to seize any opportunity to rush forward and deliver a fatal blow.
'But the most troublesome one is that last guy...'
The captain's attention wavered for a second, and Lin Mo's figure vanished from his sight. He scanned his surroundings but couldn't find him anywhere. His anxiety and fear grew.
The Assassin hiding in the shadows was like the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. He had to constantly worry about the danger of a surprise attack, forcing him to slow his offensive rhythm. More than once, he even thought of turning to flee.
Fortunately, he managed to cling to his reason. He knew full well that if he exposed his back to them for even a single instant, the four people before him would immediately use every trick they had to take his life!
The invisible pressure grew heavier. Lin Mo even feigned attacks frequently, only to stop at a safe distance and retreat back into the dense thicket.
Lin Mo knew he wasn't in good shape. A rash attack might not be effective and could even get him instantly killed by the Quasi-Professional Warrior before him. He couldn't take that risk, so it was better to keep up the intimidation.
Besides, Bain was always able to seize the opportunities he created, managing to land a difficult blow or two on their opponent with his sword.
Finally, he completely broke down. He recklessly took a sword blow from Bain, grabbed his wrist with a thick arm, and instead of making a pointless attack that would be blocked by the Shield, he yanked Bain aside and charged toward Millian, who was not far behind.
He knew he was going to die, but before that, he had to take at least one of them down with him!
'I can't possibly kill Bain. Lin Mo is nowhere to be found. Evan is young and strong, likely able to block one of my attacks, so he's not a good choice either. The best target, naturally, is that Ranger.'
Millian was a rookie, as pure as they came. She had only been on a few missions, had no Professional Skills, and was no faster than an Ordinary person. She was, for all intents and purposes, just an Ordinary person who knew how to shoot a bow.
Watching the burly man charge at her, her brain froze for a moment. By the time she thought to retreat, the distance of several dozen meters had already been halved.
"Danger!"
Bain, having regained his footing, cried out in alarm. Lin Mo frowned and rushed forward, but he was too far away and couldn't make it in time.
Just as the captain was about to catch Millian, a figure suddenly shot out from the side, blocking his path.
It was Evan!
The moment the Blood Sea Gang's captain had made his move, he had reacted instantly and rushed over.
'Millian is right behind me. I can't back down!'
Evan's eyes were bloodshot. With a great roar, he brought his Two-Handed Sword crashing down on his opponent.
"You're courting death!"
The captain roared back in anger, slashing down with his sword.
Under the immense difference in Strength, Evan was immediately forced to his knees. His face flushed red, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood with a WRETCH.
The wounds on his body burst open, worsening his condition.
"Just die!"
The pressure from the other end of the sword continued to build. In a daze, he gradually heard a faint cracking sound...
"KRAK—"
The crack on the sword's blade spread rapidly. It went from a fissure to completely shattering in a mere instant. The captain's sword, now unopposed, swung toward Evan's face.
The sharp blade loomed larger and larger in his vision. A flicker of despair passed through Evan's dazed eyes.
...until a white bow abruptly appeared in his field of view.
Even sturdy White Oak was ultimately no match for a sharp blade. The bow was split in two with almost no resistance, but it had fulfilled its purpose.
Using that brief moment, Millian threw herself on top of him. The last of the sword's momentum landed on her left shoulder.
At the same time, Lin Mo finally arrived. The Short Knife in his hand flew through the air, aimed straight at the unarmored back of the captain's neck.
The instant the Short Knife pierced his throat, the Long Sword arrived as well. A fierce horizontal slash cut across, sending the embedded Short Knife flying.