Free Web NovelChapter 218: Chapter 211: Escape Squad
Ian stopped, turned, and pressed his back against the cold stone wall, his iron sword held horizontally before him.
His chest heaved slightly, and every breath carried the scent of blood.
That sudden burst of exertion had aggravated his internal injuries, which hadn’t fully healed.
"Just a little brat at the Awakening Tier..." The tall man said, approaching step by step with his machete.
"He even smells like Starlight... some fish that slipped through the net from one of the great families?"
He licked his lips, greed flashing in his dark red eyes.
"Eating you... might let me live a few more days..."
"Boss, be careful," the short one warned from the side. "This kid was fast. He might be more than he seems."
"More than he seems?" The tall one sneered. "No matter how skilled he is, he’s still just Awakening Tier."
He stopped three paces from Ian.
The machete dragged on the ground, making a harsh, grating sound.
"Kid, hand over everything valuable you’ve got, and I’ll make your death a quick one."
Ian didn’t speak, just stared at him.
His gaze was calm, even a little cold.
The tall man grew uneasy under that stare.
It wasn’t the look of a desperate youth backed into a corner. It was more like... he was looking at a dead man.
"Putting on an act..."
He spat on the ground and wasted no more words, raising his machete and bringing it down on Ian’s head.
The blade was fast, carrying a foul wind.
Dark red, foul Energy coiled around the blade, and the air hissed with corrosion wherever it passed.
Ian’s pupils contracted. The Energy fluctuations from this Fallen were very similar to the aura of the Abyss.
’I can’t block this head-on!’
He kicked off the wall with his right foot, his body sliding to the left.
The blade grazed his shoulder as it fell, striking the ground and sending shards of stone flying.
At the same time, the Fallen on his left and right moved.
The short one lunged from the left, his dagger thrusting straight for Ian’s ribs.
The one on the right swung a short spear, sweeping at Ian’s knees.
Their coordination was seamless, sealing off all avenues of escape.
Ian gritted his teeth, slammed his left hand against the wall, and used the force to launch himself upward!
[Star Step]!
His feet tapped twice on the wall, and he shot up more than a meter like a gecko.
The short one’s dagger struck empty air.
The short spear on the right swept past his calves, only tearing his pant leg.
Ian was in midair with nothing to push off of, and his body began to fall.
The tall one grinned maliciously, raising his machete again, waiting for the moment Ian landed.
’Now!’
A golden glint flashed in Ian’s eyes as he frantically poured Spiritual Power into the iron sword in his right hand.
The body of the sword lit up with an extremely faint silver light.
’Not a strike, but... a pull!’
The tip of the sword traced a tiny arc in the void.
In the surrounding air, the sparse motes of Starlight were disturbed, swirling gently.
The tall man suddenly felt his machete grow heavy.
It hadn’t actually gotten heavier; the trajectory of his swing... was being tugged slightly by some invisible force, shifting it by an inch.
Just that one inch.
Ian’s falling trajectory now perfectly avoided the deadliest part of the blade’s path.
He landed on the back of the machete’s blade with his right foot, kicked off, and launched himself again, plunging toward the tall man’s chest!
The distance between them closed to half a meter in an instant.
The tall man’s pupils shrank, and he instinctively tried to retreat.
But Ian’s sword had already thrust forward.
Its tip wasn’t aimed at the heart, nor the throat.
It was aimed at the very center of his chest—the area where the Energy fluctuations were most chaotic and foul.
Under his Starlight Perception, it looked like a constantly writhing, dark red pustule.
SQUELCH!
The sword tip sank in.
It didn’t feel like piercing flesh and blood; it was more like puncturing a leather sack filled with viscous fluid.
Dark red, foul blood gushed out, splashing all over Ian’s face.
It was foul-smelling, scalding hot, and highly corrosive.
The skin on his face immediately flared with a burning, stinging pain.
But Ian didn’t let go. He twisted his wrist, churning the blade a half-turn inside the man’s chest cavity.
"Argh...!"
The tall man let out a bloodcurdling scream. His machete fell from his grasp as he grabbed the sword blade with both hands, trying to pull it out.
But Ian’s sword had already pierced the "pustule."
The foul Energy leaked out in a frenzy, and the tall man’s body deflated like a punctured leather sack, rapidly shriveling.
The black blood vessels beneath his skin ruptured one by one, and his dark red eyes gradually dimmed.
Finally, he collapsed softly to his knees, silent.
[Basic Swordsmanship Skill Level +1.2%]
[Star Step Skill Level +0.8%]
[Starlight Perception Skill Level +0.5%]
A series of notifications flashed across his vision.
But Ian had no time to examine them.
The other two Fallen were already charging him with furious roars!
"Boss!!"
"Kill him!!"
The short one’s dagger stabbed straight for Ian’s back.
The short spear on the right aimed for his neck.
Ian had just pulled out his sword. His momentum was spent, and he had yet to build more, giving him no time to turn and block.
It was a life-or-death moment.
He clenched his jaw and slammed his left hand against his chest.
’The Starfall Core!’
VWOOM!
The pendant vibrated again, and a cool, silver Energy flooded into his body.
But this time, Ian didn’t use it to mend his wounds.
He guided this Energy, pouring all of it into the iron sword in his right hand!
The sword’s silver light flared brilliantly!
It wasn’t a faint glimmer, but a real, visible silver halo!
At the same time, his Starlight Perception activated at full power.
The sparse motes of Starlight in the surrounding air swarmed as if summoned, gathering wildly to form a faint, half-meter-diameter force field around the sword.
When the short one’s dagger entered the force field, its speed dropped abruptly.
It was like sinking into a quagmire.
The short spear on the right was the same; its tip was only three inches from Ian’s neck, but it couldn’t advance any further.
"What is this?!"
the short one cried out in terror.
Ian didn’t answer.
He used the momentary delay created by the force field to spin his body sharply!
His iron sword swept out horizontally!
The silver light traced a semicircle.
SHINK! SHINK!
Two soft sounds.
The short one’s neck was sliced nearly in half.
The Fallen on the right was left with a gash on his chest so deep the bone was visible.
Both of them froze, looking down at their wounds with disbelief in their eyes.
Then, they collapsed limply to the ground.
Foul blood poured from their wounds, quickly soaking the ground.
Ian supported himself with his sword, dropping to one knee and gasping for breath.
The places on his face corroded by the foul blood burned painfully, and the wound on his chest had split open again, blood dripping down his collar.
That last move had drained nearly all of his Power.
Now he didn’t even have the strength to stand.
[Basic Swordsmanship Skill Level +2.1%]
[Star Step Skill Level +1.5%]
[Starlight Perception Skill Level +1.2%]
[Realm: Awakening Late Stage (71%) → Awakening Late Stage (74%)]
The panel’s data flickered.
But Ian had no time to celebrate.
The smell of blood here was too strong; it would soon attract more monsters.
He gritted his teeth, used his sword to push himself up, and staggered out of the alley.
After walking a long way, he found a half-collapsed woodshed, ducked inside, and slumped down in a corner.
He took the last of his herbal powder from his shirt and applied it to the corroded spots on his face.
The stinging pain eased slightly.
He checked the wound on his chest again. Fortunately, it had only split open a little; there was no major bleeding.
He rested for about half an hour, recovering some of his stamina.
It was nearly noon. Ian got up, and after leaving the city, continued heading west.
He had to find supplies before nightfall, or... find other people.
Spending the night alone in the Wilderness was too dangerous.
The gray clouds hung low, and the distant horizon glowed dark red, like clotted blood.
Ian walked along a small path nearly swallowed by weeds.
He occasionally saw scattered bloodstains and footprints on the path, but they were quickly covered by wind-blown sand and dirt.
After walking for about twenty li, a rocky slope appeared ahead.
The slope was steep and covered with jagged stones, with dry thorns growing in the cracks.
Just as Ian was about to go around it, he suddenly heard faint voices from the top of the slope.
He immediately crouched down, using the jumble of rocks for cover as he crept closer.
At the bottom of the slope was a relatively flat clearing, where more than a hundred people were gathered.
Most were civilians, dressed in tattered burlap clothes, their faces filled with exhaustion and fear.
From their appearance, they were likely civilians who had been scattered the previous night and were now regrouping.
A dozen or so guards wearing leather armor and carrying weapons stood on the perimeter, watching their surroundings vigilantly.
In the center of the crowd stood a few people.
One was a tall, middle-aged man in a dark blue long robe, with a knife scar on his face and a sharp gaze.
He was flanked by two guards, each holding a long saber.
Not far in front of them was a pitch-black cave.
"You. Go check that cave over there for a water source."
The scar-faced man pointed to a young boy in the crowd, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The boy was about fifteen or sixteen, not tall, with a thin, dirty face, but his eyes were bright.
His aura was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person’s; given his age, he must have just started cultivating.
He wore ill-fitting old clothes with frayed cuffs and pant legs. He was barefoot, his feet covered in blisters and cuts.
"Leader, that cave... we already checked it. It’s dry inside," the boy said quietly.
"I told you to go, so go!" The scar-faced man’s expression darkened.
"What, does my word not count in this group anymore?"
The boy bit his lip and didn’t argue further, heading toward the cave with his head down.
A few guards nearby let out low sneers.
"This kid is pretty stubborn."
"If he weren’t still a little useful, he’d have been..."
"Keep it down. Brother Chen is listening."
As the men were talking and laughing, a sudden cry of alarm came from the direction of the cave.
"AH!"
It was the boy’s voice.
Immediately after, a rustling sound came from inside the cave, followed by some kind of sharp screech.
"There’s a monster!!"
The crowd immediately fell into a commotion.
The scar-faced man’s expression changed, and he barked, "Everyone, back! Guard Team, with me!"
He hefted his saber and charged toward the cave with his two guards.
But it was too late.
The boy came tumbling and scrambling out of the cave mouth.
Chasing him were three fist-sized beetles, pitch-black all over with sharp mouthparts.
"Rot Beetles!!"
Someone screamed in terror.
The scar-faced man swung his saber at one of the beetles, the blade striking its shell.
With a crisp CLANG, it only left a white mark.
The beetle was sent flying, rolling a few times on the ground before getting up, screeching, and pouncing toward Li Yao again.
"Help me!" the boy yelled as he ran. He stumbled and fell to the ground.
One of the beetles had already pounced onto his leg, its sharp mouthparts piercing his skin and burrowing in.
His face went pale with pain, and he desperately tried to slap it off, but the beetle had latched on tight and wouldn’t be dislodged.
The other beetles also swarmed in.
It looked as if they were about to overwhelm him.
Just then, a figure charged down from the rocky slope.
He was incredibly fast, like a bolt of gray lightning.
The figure landed and swung his right hand.
SHINK!
A silver light flashed.
The beetle biting the boy’s leg was sliced in two by a single sword strike.
Blackish-green fluid splattered on the ground.
The other beetles turned in unison, screeching as they pounced on the newcomer.
Ian’s eyes were ice-cold as he swung his iron sword again.
Silver light flowed along the blade, tracing several subtle arcs in the air.
The pouncing beetles froze in mid-air.
It was as if they had hit an invisible wall, their speed dropping sharply.
Ian’s sword tip jabbed repeatedly.
SHINK! SHINK! SHINK!
All three beetles were skewered and pinned to the ground. They twitched a few times and then went still.
From the moment Ian appeared to the moment he finished off all the beetles, no more than three seconds had passed.
His speed was dazzling.
The area fell dead silent.
Everyone was stunned, staring at the young man who had appeared out of nowhere.
The boy also looked up at Ian.
When he saw Ian’s face clearly, his pupils dilated. His lips trembled, and his voice quivered.
"Bro?"
