Chapter 69 Whos The Hunter (1/2)

An idea flashed in the minds of the three black-cloaked men.

Who wouldn't relish this godsent opportunity? A solo girl surrounded by darkness and currently preoccupied with something else... Even if she were a mage, she wouldn't be able to escape once they made a move.

However...

The three men scanned their surroundings with a slight frown on their faces, clearly a little worried about an ambush. They weren't here for on a stroll and had to be vigilant. But after contemplating for a moment, they concluded there shouldn't be much risk if they acted now.

Nevertheless, they were still rather puzzled. Why was this woman unguarded? Where was their 'primary assassination target?'

If he had died, the female mage wouldn't be so calm. Did he leave her here alone and venture deeper inside?

The three men glanced at each other and made hand gestures to communicate with one another. In the end, they couldn't think of anything else more possible than what they had already discussed. Based on their intel, this young man was quite skilled, so it wasn't surprising if he was confident about his strength and left the female mage here as he explored the ruins. While they couldn't see far in the darkness, they could at least make out a faint outline of a torch burning in the distance.

The leader of the black-cloaked men went silent. A moment later, he raised his head, revealing a pair of eyes gazing with resolution. He slowly lifted his right arm and swung it downwards in an arc.

Begin operation!

The other men dashed into the darkness stealthily once they received their orders.

Their well-honed killing intent began to surface.

-

Marlene stared at the intricately carved patterns on the pillar in front of her. She wasn't studying those patterns; rather, her head kept ringing with the words Rhode had delivered to her before leaving.

Those people will undoubtedly try to attack you. I will need you to act naturally and pretend that you don't know anything. Do not worry; I have a way of stopping them. Rest assured Marlene, I will not allow you to get hurt.

Rhode appeared to be 100% reliable when he reassured her, but to be totally cool about being the bait was completely rubbish. Therefore she could not resist secretly glancing at her surroundings once in a while.

Meanwhile, under the flickering light, a shadow shifted from time to time. If Marlene observed carefully, she would realize that someone was lurking nearby.

The pressure on her wasn't light at all. It was especially so when she heard the methods from Rhode about how they were going to deal with her. Her heart froze. Death was enough to cause fear in people. If was far better off being dead than to imagine what they were going to do with her after being captured.

Frankly, Marlene had considered summoning her magic sphere to brighten the area so she could see where the enemy was hiding. But in the end, she swallowed her fear and chose to believe in Rhode.

What an unreasonable man!

When she thought of herself putting total trust in a man, Marlene suddenly felt like she was becoming stupid. Why did she have to believe him? Why must her life dance in the palm of his hand? Was it because he convinced her? Or was it because of other reasons...

Even when facing her father, Marlene was never THAT obedient. So why did she listen to his every word? Somehow, before this man, every word he spoke was something that she was unable to oppose.

Is it because of the duel before? That shouldn't be it.

Although he is the first man to injure me, I'm not a weak woman who would become obedient once scared, right?

Marlene shook her head repeatedly, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get him out of her mind.

Then she berated herself inwardly. ”Don't think about him anymore!”

Thus, in order to take her mind off him, she began to focus on deciphering the meaning of the ancient symbols on the pillar.

A woman mind is really complicated...

”....chosen knight…to protect the world…”

Her white and slender fingers traced the mysterious carvings, carefully examining the ancient symbols before her as she murmured to herself.

”....the source of power...came from...soul contract...under the void...”

Her voice became softer as her expression became increasingly focused.

Marlene completely neglected the danger around her.

-

A chance!

The black-cloaked men snorted coldly. As professionals, they did not make any rash moves. They knew that their opponent was a mage — and a genius one at that. Therefore, if they weren't 100% confident about capturing her, attacking her and losing their stealth advantage was a silly move.