Boom! Boom! Boom! Under the dim light, a group of people walked in the corridor and quickly left the chaotic scene. "What's the situation now?" A young, cold voice echoed in the dark corridor. Caesar Black, heir to the Black family, walked through the corridors of Black Manor, escorted by a group of elite guards. The guards, dressed in simple black uniforms, moved quickly and orderly, forming a solid protective wall around Caesar. They all wore swords at their waists, a sign of their training to ensure the protection of important people. "Our communications equipment is being jammed, Master." Walking in front of the team was Captain Alden, a battle-hardened warrior who spoke seriously. He had served the Black family for many years and was well-known for his safety and loyalty to the family. "However, according to the intelligence we obtained in advance, we are being targeted by a new organization."
As they walked, Captain Alden reported the current situation to Caesar. "Is there any way to confirm their identities?" Caesar asked through gritted teeth, "Those bastards...don't they know the power of our family?" Today was supposed to be his day to be the protagonist. As the heir of the Black family, he was supposed to be the focus of this banquet. He personally organized this banquet just to show his abilities to the public. His father, the current patriarch, was a perfectionist, so he did his best to live up to his father's standards. "I believe they are aware of your abilities, Master," Alden replied, emphasizing the word "your", suggesting that he already regarded Caesar as the next heir to the Black family. "Oh? Then what do you think their goal is?" Caesar smiled. Alden's praise made him feel better, and the angry expression on his face gradually faded. Alden maintained a serious expression and replied, "From what I have observed, this organization is not directly targeting the Black family. Instead, they seem to be hired by a competitor or enemy. Their purpose is to tarnish your image, Master." Hearing this, Caesar also began to think. 'Given how organised they are, that does make sense.' He went over in his mind the scene when the attack began. First there were bombs, then smoke, then a bunch of portals. And that's when Alden sprang into action, pulling him out of the attack. It was a maneuver that had been practiced countless times at the Black Family Manor. But the problem was the efficiency of their attack. First, they created confusion, forcing the mages on guard to move forward, as there was not enough time for the melee guards to reach the guests. Then, they used smoke to obscure the view, ensuring that the mages would need to use [Mana Expansion] to perceive the situation in the banquet hall. Due to the subsequent attacks, the mages did not have enough time to protect the people in the banquet hall, and the magic weapons in the table were activated. It's almost like... drop! "Um?" Captain Alden frowned as he scanned the card in his hand over the door in front of them, but the door did not respond. "What's going on?" Caesar felt that something was getting more and more wrong.
Caesar felt more and more uneasy at Alden's frustrated expression, but the door remained stubbornly closed. But it wasn't just the closed door that made Caesar uneasy. He felt a growing sense of oppression in the corridor, and the surrounding mana was seriously disturbed. "Master!" whoosh! At that moment, Alden pounced on Caesar. A shining magic arrow flew past where Caesar had just stood, hitting the wall with a deafening explosion. boom! "Adopt the third formation!" Alden immediately ordered, and the guards acted quickly to protect Caesar firmly in the center. "You reacted pretty well." From the darkness, two figures emerged, a man and a woman. Both were wearing sleek black uniforms and exuded a powerful aura. The woman's cold blue eyes met Caesar's, and her voice was as chilling as ice: "We've found our target," she whispered, tapping the earphone on her right ear. The man next to her stood quietly, his eyes equally cold, but his physique was more muscular than the woman, making him look more majestic. "Who are you?" Caesar asked, trying to buy time. “…” The only response he got was silence. The two men in black exchanged glances. "You don't need to know." The woman replied coldly, pulling out a dagger from the side of her thigh. whoosh! She threw the dagger suddenly and rushed towards the crowd. Seeing this scene, Alden immediately raised his sword to fight. When he was about to fight the woman in front of him, suddenly, he felt something was wrong. "let me." whoosh! The man in black instantly rushed towards Alden with a strange smile on his face. Alden stood his ground and swung his sword to attack, but when he did so, he found that he could not use magic. With mana scarce all around, this battle will rely entirely on pure strength. The man in black said nothing as his fist fell with tremendous force. Clang! Clang! Clang! Alden struggled to block each attack, the blade trembling from the impact. Although he blocked the attack with the blade, the man's hand did not have any marks. 'What kind of power is this!' The man's strength was amazing, far beyond Alden's expectations.
Bang! "Well!" A heavy blow hit his abdomen, and blood rushed to his throat. His internal organs seemed to be crushed, and the pain made his calmness collapse. whoosh! He ignored the severe pain in his abdomen and fought back with all his might. clang! The enemy's fist met his sword. This was exactly what Alden was aiming for, and he changed the trajectory of his sword in an instant, performing his sword skills with great precision. clang! The black-clad man's fist met the sword once again, but due to the ferocity of the attack, the man was forced back. "Well......" Due to excessive energy consumption, blood flowed from the corner of the man's mouth. 'This is dangerous.' Alden quickly assessed the situation and found himself in an extremely disadvantageous position. The enemy was an experienced warrior, but he was unable to fully utilize the magical elements in the environment and was unable to exert his due combat effectiveness. He is a magic swordsman who is proficient in magic and swordsmanship, which is one of the reasons why he can become the captain of the Black family guard. But now he has lost part of his strength, and the abilities he could exert have disappeared. To make matters worse, the enemy specializes in physical training, which makes him an extremely difficult opponent to deal with in this situation. whoosh! The enemy would not give him a chance to breathe, and almost instantly appeared in front of Alden again, punching him in the face. The battle raged in a dimly lit corridor, the only source of light coming from flickering lights on the wall. Alden's face was filled with pain and determination, and his fierce battle with the man in black was like a duel between steel and flesh. Brief sparks streaked through the air, illuminating the resolute faces of both parties. Despite being at a disadvantage, Alden was by no means an easy opponent to defeat. His sword moves in precise arcs and thrusts, and every attack shows his deep attainments in swordsmanship over the years. The mysterious man used his amazing brute strength and speed to block Alden's attack with his strong arms and quickly fought back. Clang! Clang! Clang! Every time steel collided with flesh, sparks flew and cast a strange light, briefly illuminating the tense faces of the two warriors. The clanging of metal echoed through the corridors, even covering the chaos that had erupted in Black Manor. Alden's attacks were sharp and swift, aiming at the enemy's sides and chest, trying to take advantage of every flaw. However, the mysterious man was unexpectedly flexible. He kept turning sideways and twisting, dodging Alden's sword in a posture that was inconsistent with his huge size. 'Chance.'
At this moment, Alden's senses were extremely sharp, and he saw a flaw in defeating the enemy. An attack path emerged in his mind. At this moment, the swordsmanship and tactics in his mind merged into one, and he swung the sword without hesitation. 'Cut it off.' However, at this moment, an ominous feeling came over him, the second time in his life that he felt this feeling. His opponent had a sneer on his face, as if he had already foreseen the outcome. Just as Alden slashed horizontally, the black-clad man's forearm flashed with dark energy and collided with Alden's blade. clang! That is demonic energy. This fact made Alden realize instantly that the battle was inevitable. "Well!" There was a violent shock, and Alden's arms shook and he groaned in pain. Bang! At this moment, the man's other fist suddenly swung out, hitting Alden with a powerful uppercut, knocking him back. "cough!" Alden felt his breathing quicken and he felt dizzy. The magic energy had invaded his body and disrupted his regenerative ability. However, the danger is not over. Alden glanced around anxiously, his eyes quickly focused on the other guards around him, who had bravely protected their young master, but were now unable to fight. They were scattered on the ground, seriously injured, victims of the attacker's ruthless attack. Stabbing their bodies with blades and daggers filled with dark magic was obviously the work of another of his accomplices. Despair welled up in Alden's heart, and he searched helplessly for the person he was supposed to protect. "Target captured." He suddenly discovered that Caesar was carried on the woman's shoulders. At this moment, he felt a long-lost sense of familiarity. 'Mana.' Mana is back. Alden's eyes became sharp in an instant, and then he immediately took action, covering his sword and body with the returning mana. The blade shone, and his body quickly filled with strength. "ah!" whoosh! However, before his attack could land, two figures quickly passed through the newly opened portal.
Alden's sword slashed through the air, but hit nothing. Click! Click! Click! The lights came back on one by one, and finally, there was only one person standing in front of the door leading to that specific basement...
